Tate McRae addresses MAGA speculation after Wallen collab
Tate McRae addresses MAGA speculation by saying her actions and the causes she backs should make her values clear, not online labels. After her No. 1 Morgan Wallen collab and buzz around NHL star Jack Hughes, she told Variety she speaks through organizations she supports and her tour environment.
Key Takeaways
- McRae said her supported causes and tour environment show who she is more than online labels.
- Her Morgan Wallen collaboration “What I Want” became her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1.
- Reported ties to Jack Hughes fueled political chatter after an Olympic call with Donald Trump.
- She said she keeps relationships private and refuses to feed “outside noise.”
What did Tate McRae say about the MAGA speculation?
When Page Six reported on her Variety interview, the 23-year-old said she prefers to “say my piece through organizations I support and the environment that I have on tour.”
She pointed fans toward her record of giving back. Last year she posted a TikTok promoting a “Little Miss Possessive” sweatshirt with proceeds going to the Global Fund for Women and The Trevor Project, a suicide-prevention nonprofit for LGBTQ+ youth.
“I think it’s pretty obvious what kind of person I am and the things I support,” McRae said. “And I hope that my fans can see that through the things that I’m putting my energy towards.”
How did Morgan Wallen and Jack Hughes fuel the chatter?
McRae teamed with Morgan Wallen on “What I Want,” the fifth single from his “I’m the Problem” album. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and gave her a first chart-topping hit—news that also kept her in the country-crossover spotlight.
Political speculation intensified around her reported relationship with NHL star Jack Hughes. During a congratulatory call after the U.S. men’s hockey team’s Olympic gold win, Hughes was seen laughing with teammates at a joke from President Trump, who also invited the squad to his State of the Union. Op-eds later criticized the team’s reaction and White House visit.
Asked about navigating that noise, McRae kept the focus on privacy. “I try to keep my relationships as sacred and private as possible,” she said. “I love the people in my life. They love me. You just try to keep that circle as positive and supportive as possible.”
“And the outside noise, I can’t do anything about that,” she added. “Focusing my energy on something that I can’t control, it just puts me in a bad mood.” For more celebrity headlines, see our celebrity breaking news hub.
What is McRae focusing on after the Miss Possessive tour?
After an 88-stop “Miss Possessive” tour that grossed more than $100 million, McRae described feeling emotionally drained—citing dark thoughts, loneliness, and a need to “regulate my nervous system.” She is already working on a fourth studio album.
She recently headlined Lollapalooza in Chicago and is set for Montreal’s Osheaga Festival, her first festival date in her home country. “There’s always thought about how you want your legacy to go down,” she said, adding that growth means beating her last song and performance.