Conservatives on X, formerly Twitter, reacted harshly this week to news that pro-abortion pop singer Taylor Swift threatened to sue a student who publishes celebrity’s private jet usage to advertise their carbon footprint — and Swift believes she should be exempt from being held to the left’s standard.
News of Swift’s lawsuit threat against Florida college student Jack Sweeney prompted Breitbart News to remark, “Can’t handle accountability!” The cease-and-desist letter Swift’s lawyers sent the young man said she would “have no choice but to all [sic] legal remedies” if the accused did not stop his “stalking and harassing behavior.”
Can't handle accountability! https://t.co/KzZIMHevfg
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) February 7, 2024
According to the Washington Post, the letter said: “While this may be a game to you, or an avenue that you hope will earn you wealth or fame, it is a life-or-death matter for our Client. Ms. Swift has dealt with stalkers and other individuals who wish her harm.”
In response, conservative commentators on X posted a number of remarks critical of Swift for putting pressure on Sweeney for sharing publicly available information about her and other celebrity private jet schedules.
A self-described leftist going by the handle CringeyFrog questioned: “Why in the world does Taylor Swift think she’s special in any way. Does she want to be an ecoterrorist in private, and destroy the environment without public scrutiny?”
A private jet's flight path is publically available information. Why in the world does Taylor Swift think she's special in any way. Does she want to be an ecoterrorist in private, and destroy the environment without public scrutiny? https://t.co/BTZae8EkY8 pic.twitter.com/ZdqNSl6CE4
— Extinct 🇳🇬 (@CringeyFrog) February 6, 2024
Gregory Andrews, a Threatened Species Commissioner and climate advocate from Canberra, Australia, remarked, “Private jets are the epitome of climate injustice. The super-rich are burning our planet for their own indulgences and perceived glamor. Taylor Swift is clearly ashamed of her excessive private jet use. Otherwise she wouldn’t be trying to hide it.”
“We are aware of your public disputes with other high-profile individuals and your tactics in those interactions, including offering to stop your harmful behavior only in exchange for items of value,” Swift’s letter said.
Sweeney first made headlines for tracking Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s private jet travels and publishing them on Twitter starting before Musk bought the social media platform. The student told Business Insider, “You should have a decent expectation that your jet will be tracked, whether or not I do it as, after all, it is public information.”
