Taylor Swift slams Trump tweet: ‘You have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?’
Taylor Swift on Friday tore into President Trump for threatening “shooting” in response to protesting and looting in Minneapolis, accusing him of “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism” throughout his time in office.
“After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?” Swift wrote on Twitter.
“‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November,” she added, tagging the president.
After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 29, 2020
The fierce condemnation came after Trump lashed out at demonstrators in Minneapolis amid the protests over the police killing of George Floyd, warning that he would send National Guard troops to the city and that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
“I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. 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,” Trump tweeted in the early hours of Friday morning.
….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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
The president has faced widespread criticism for the remarks and has been accused of threatening violence against American citizens from top Democrats including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Joe Biden.
Twitter slapped a warning label on the tweet from Trump and the official White House account, saying the rhetoric violates the platform’s rules against glorifying violence.
The remarks from the “Lover” singer marks her first public tweet directed at the president since she has became a vocal opponent of his.
Swift notably broke her years-long silence on politics shortly before the 2018 midterm elections, endorsing former Democratic Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen in the state’s Senate race and Democrat Jim Cooper for the House.
Trump responded by saying he liked her music “25 percent less.”
Swift has become increasingly critical of the president in recent months, including saying that he is “gaslighting the American public.”
“We’re a democracy — at least, we’re supposed to be — where you’re allowed to disagree, dissent, debate. I really think that he thinks this is an autocracy,” she told The Guardian in August.
In behind-the-scenes clips from her Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana,” the pop star discussed her decision to actively work against the president.
Swift’s publicist is seen warning her that Trump could level attacks against her if she spoke out against him.
“F— that,” Swift fired back. “I don’t care.”
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