• JD Vance expressed concern over potential NFL bias towards the Kansas City Chiefs after Travis Kelce’s engagement to Taylor Swift.
• Vance, a Cincinnati Bengals fan, worries the Chiefs will receive preferential treatment from referees.
• Vance’s comments fuel existing conspiracy theories about NFL bias towards the Chiefs dynasty.

Vice President JD Vance has stoked claims the NFL is partial toward the Kansas City Chiefs.

Vance, a former senator from Ohio, said in an exclusive interview with USA TODAY that he hopes the NFL doesn’t favor the Chiefs following Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s engagement announcement.

“I will say as a football fan − as a Cincinnati Bengals fan − I hope that the NFL does not put a thumb on the scale for the Kansas City Chiefs just because Travis Kelce is now getting married to maybe the most famous woman in the world,” Vance said in a wide-ranging interview that covered topics including President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to fight crime, the Swift-Kelce engagement, and the president’s controversial efforts to oust a Federal Reserve governor.

“You guys can’t sort of have this, I’m worried they’re going to have a Super Bowl wedding thing this season,” Vance said. “Can’t do it. The Kansas City Chiefs have to follow the same rules as everybody else.”

“So if we see the refs being particularly friendly to Kansas City Chiefs players, then I think all football fans should be willing to push back on the NFL and say, look, you guys got to be fair. Just because Travis is getting married to Taylor, you still can’t put your thumb on the scale for the Kansas City Chiefs.”

Vance’s words are red meat for NFL conspiracy theorists who believe the NFL has been biased toward the Chiefs during their dynasty. The Chiefs have won nine consecutive AFC West titles and have won three of the past six Super Bowls.

It also adds another layer to the Chiefs and Bengals rivalry.

Vance did congratulate the couple for their recent engagement in the same interview.