CBS News White House correspondent Olivia Rinaldi had a rare off-script moment on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. While preparing for a live shot outside the White House, she received a piece of pop culture news too big to ignore: Taylor Swift’s engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.
Featured VideoThe singer and NFL star confirmed their engagement with an Instagram post that afternoon. Swift and Kelce, who began dating publicly in 2023, have since been one of the most-watched celebrity couples in both entertainment and sports. Naturally, Swifties had been waiting for this moment.
AdvertisementOlivia Rinaldi learns the news in real time
Rinaldi’s reaction spread quickly after a clip of her discovering the post surfaced online. She stared at her phone in disbelief before blurting out, “Taylor Swift is engaged!” several times. Her excitement didn’t fade as she added, “This — come back to me! She just posted it. Oh my god! Oh, it’s huge! The ring is ginormous! This is so exciting!”
Importantly, she joked that she felt like Paul Revere breaking the story to colleagues nearby. That energy carried over once she went live on CBS News.
Advertisement“This is a very exciting moment for me in my professional career because I get to announce that Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are engaged!” Rinaldi told viewers.
“As you were talking to Joe Lang, our lovely producer, Gaby Ake texted me and said, ‘Taylor Swift’s engaged,’ and you can see it right there on her social media. She put it up in that post that they got engaged with the caption, ‘Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,’ with a little dynamite sign there. Very exciting here that we get to break that and tell you about that.”
Because the announcement happened on-air, Rinaldi framed herself as one of the first reporters able to share the news.
AdvertisementSwifties cheer the enthusiasm online
Meanwhile, social media users seized on Rinaldi’s genuine excitement.
“Being a girl and a swiftie is truly the best. because a true girls girls reaction is this,” @ZombieDish tweeted in response to the CBS News post. “never trust a b*tch who doesn’t celebrate taylor.”
Others praised the reporter for showing emotion during a broadcast. “I’m so glad swifties around the world had the same reaction 🧨,” one commenter wrote. Still, some critics mocked her reaction, accusing her of overreacting.
AdvertisementStill, Swifties and casual fans alike defended the moment, saying that celebrating other people’s happiness, especially something as lighthearted as an engagement, shouldn’t be treated as unprofessional.
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