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Taylor Swift Smacks Trump's Twitter Racism, Violence-Baiting
"The Man" called out the president after his harmful tweets about the situation in Minneapolis.
May 29 2020 1:40 PM EST
May 31 2023 6:02 PM EST
byraffy
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"The Man" called out the president after his harmful tweets about the situation in Minneapolis.
Taylor Swift isn't tolerating the president's overt racism.
While the ongoing protests in Minneapolis continue following the unjust death of unarmed Black man George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, Donald Trump has been busy tweeting his thoughts on the entire situation.
\u201c....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won\u2019t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!\u201d— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1590727994
"I can't stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis," Trump tweeted. "A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right....."
Threatening to send the National Guard to Minneapolis, he continued:
"....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!"
Like so many others who are tired of people of color being portrayed as "criminals" and "thugs" for rightfully voicing their opinions and exercising their rights to protest, Taylor Swift was having absolutely none of Trump's racist and violent rhetoric.
\u201cAfter stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? \u2018When the looting starts the shooting starts\u2019??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump\u201d— Taylor Swift (@Taylor Swift) 1590766421
"After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?" the 30-year-old pop star said, calling out and taking particular issue with Trump's "When the looting starts the shooting starts???" line.
"We will vote you out in November," she concludes in her tweet, referencing the upcoming presidential election.
This isn't the first time the "Lover" singer has used her platform as one of the world's most successful recording artists to speak on progressive politics.
During the 2018 midterm elections, Swift effectively came out as a Democrat after years of keeping her political beliefs and stances under tight lips, endorsing two Democratic candidates from Tennessee who were running for seats in the House.
"In the past, I've been reluctant to publicly voice my political opinions, but due to several events in my life and in the world in the past two years, I feel very differently about that now," she wrote on Instagram. "I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country. I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening, and prevalent."
"I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender, or who they love."
The following year at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards, Swift also shouted out the Equality Act -- a bill that amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include protections that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex in the areas of employment, housing, public education, federal funding, and credit -- during her opening performance.