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People have become greedy for details about Tate McRae’s political views, and a new interview with Variety offers an answer — sort of.
In the cover story interview released on Monday, the 23-year-old Canadian pop star was asked why she’s reluctant to air her political views. Questions about her politics emerged after a 2025 collaboration with U.S. country singer Morgan Wallen, and intensified after a promotion for Team USA during the 2026 Winter Olympics and a rumoured romance with NHL star Jack Hughes, who visited the White House after the U.S. beat Canada in the gold-medal game.
McRae says she has made it clear where she stands — in other ways.
“I like to say my piece through organizations I support and the environment that I have on tour,” she told the publication. While she didn’t specify, she may have been referring in part to the “Little Miss Possessive” hoodie she sold through her merchandise store — a share of the proceeds benefit The Trevor Project, a non-profit focusing on suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, and the Global Fund for Women.
“I think it’s pretty obvious what kind of person I am and the things I support,” she continued. “And I hope that my fans can see that through the things that I’m putting my energy towards.”
Whalen collaboration
Questions about McRae’s political leanings first gained traction after she teamed up with Wallen on the chart-topping song What I Want back in May 2025. The singer faced widespread backlash in 2021 after TMZ posted a video of him using a racial slur outside his Nashville home.
Tate McRae is facing backlash for supporting Team U.S.A. after featuring in an NBC ad promoting the Olympics and Super Bowl. Canadians have taken to social media to share their disappointment about McRae siding with the American team, though some fans are cheering this moment as a step up in the singer’s career.
Wallen has not publicly declared support for MAGA or endorsed U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speculation over McRae’s beliefs kicked into high gear again earlier this year when the Calgary-born musician starred in an NBC ad highlighting the 2026 U.S. Winter Olympics team, with some accusing her of being a traitor.
Then, rumours of a relationship with New Jersey Devils centre Hughes began swirling. Hughes visited the White House with the U.S. men’s hockey team after their gold medal win at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The team also faced backlash after they laughed at a joke made by President Trump at the expense of the women’s hockey team during a congratulatory call following their Olympic victory.
Hughes defended the decision to go to the White House, telling the Daily Mail, “Everything is so political. We’re athletes. We’re so proud to represent the U.S. and we get the chance to go to the White House, meet the president. You know, we’re proud to be Americans.”
Tate McRae got her big break on So You Think You Can Dance and even though she didn’t win, it set the stage for her rise as a pop star.
McRae appears to be paying little attention to the online chatter, telling Variety that when it comes to her personal life, she prefers to “keep my relationships as sacred and private as possible.”
“I love the people in my life. They love me. You just try to keep that circle as positive and supportive as possible,” she said. “And the outside noise, I can’t do anything about that. Focusing my energy on something that I can’t control, it just puts me in a bad mood.”
