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Tate McRae responds to accusations of being MAGA after Morgan Wallen duet and alleged relationship with Jack Hughes: “I think it’s pretty obvious what kind of person I am”
Tate McRae has pushed back on suggestions that she holds MAGA sympathies, following her collaborative single with Morgan Wallen and reported romance with ice hockey player Jack Hughes. Speaking to Variety, the Canadian pop star said her actions and charitable choices speak for themselves, addressing scrutiny that has intensified alongside her rising commercial profile, including a first Grammy nomination and a Lollapalooza headline slot.
McRae pointed to her support for LGBTQ+ charity The Trevor Project and merchandise proceeds directed to the Global Fund for Women as evidence of her values, saying "I think it's pretty obvious what kind of person I am." The speculation stems from her duet with Wallen, who faced backlash in 2021 for using a racial slur, and her alleged relationship with Hughes, whose US Olympic hockey team drew criticism after laughing along with Donald Trump's jokes at a White House visit. McRae's latest album, 2025's "So Close To What," produced hits including "Sports Car" and "Revolving Door."
In short
- Tate McRae denies MAGA links tied to Wallen duet, Hughes romance.
- She cites support for The Trevor Project and Global Fund for Women.
- Scrutiny follows her Grammy nod and Lollapalooza headline set.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Morgan Wallen's 2021 slur and Jack Hughes' team's conduct at the White House represent serious lapses that cannot be separated from the individuals involved. When a public figure collaborates with or builds intimate relationships with such figures, it sends a cultural message and invites reasonable questions about their values. This is not necessarily to condemn McRae, but rather to note that public figures do not exist in moral vacuums—associations have weight and meaning, and scrutiny of them is fair, particularly when the associations span both professional and personal spheres.
The case against
Professional collaboration and romantic relationships are distinct from political alignment and cannot fairly be interpreted as wholesale endorsements of someone else's past mistakes. McRae's actual choices—her support for LGBTQ+ and women's charities—constitute her genuine values far more directly than the people she happens to work with or date. Holding artists to the standard that they must publicly disown or avoid anyone with any controversial history is both unworkable and unfair, converting normal human associations into presumed political statements.
Explained simply
Tate McRae is a Canadian pop singer whose profile has grown with hit songs and major live performances. She has also supported charities including The Trevor Project, which works with LGBTQ+ young people, and the Global Fund for Women.
Some of the speculation about her politics followed a duet with country singer Morgan Wallen, who faced backlash in 2021 after using a racial slur. It also followed reports linking McRae to ice hockey player Jack Hughes; his US Olympic team was criticised after members laughed at jokes by Donald Trump during a White House visit.
The discussion reflects how audiences may read a public figure’s collaborators and personal connections as signs of their views. McRae has cited her charitable support as evidence of her values, while saying that her actions make clear what kind of person she is.