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A federal judge says President Donald Trump must face a copyright lawsuit filed by the estate of Isaac Hayes over the president’s alleged use of the 1966 song “Hold On, I’m Coming” on the campaign trail. In a ruling issued Wednesday (April 2), court records show that Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. denied a motion by […]
Billboard Women in Music 2025
Veteran Canadian rocker Neil Young has shared his fears over a potential ban from the U.S. that may await him upon his return from Europe.
The musician – who is a dual citizen of Canada and the U.S. – has not been shy in regard to his criticism of President Donald Trump in the past. Previously, Young has gone so far as to call Trump “a disgrace to my country,” and most recently, claim that “the US has lost its standing” on the world stage under the President’s leadership.
However, with an upcoming European tour set to be followed by a run of dates in the U.S., Young has taken to his Archives website to ruminate on the notion that he too may be barred from entering the country for sharing his critical thoughts on Trump.
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“When I go to play music in Europe, if I talk about Donald J. Trump, I may be one of those returning to America who is barred or put in jail to sleep on a cement floor with an aluminum blanket,” Young wrote on Tuesday (April 1). “If I come back from Europe and am barred, can’t play my USA tour, all of the folks who bought tickets will not be able to come to a concert by me.
“If the fact that I think Donald Trump is the worst president in the history of our great country could stop me from coming back, what does that say for Freedom? I love America and its people and its music and its culture.”
As Young continued, he reflected on the constitutional right to freedom of speech within the country, likely referring to recent news stories such as the arrest and orders to deport Syrian-born permanent resident and pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil.
“By these latest actions of our US government, it seems that those who speak out freely with their own opinions are now vulnerable to a non-existent Trump law,” Young wrote. “Then it seems to me that if you voted for Kamala Harris over Trump, that makes it possible for you to go to jail or be detained, punished in some way for not showing allegiance to what? How spineless is that? Trump is not be able to stand up to anyone who does not agree with his ideas?
“Remember, all months have 30 days,” he concluded. “One country, indivisible, with Liberty and Freedom for all. Remember that? I do.”
Young is currently scheduled to launch his forthcoming tour with the Chrome Hearts in Rättvik, Sweden on June 18, with North American dates set to begin in Charlotte, NC on Aug. 8. The rocker’s previously-announced plans for a free concert in Ukraine to launch the tour were recently cancelled, with Young citing safety concerns as the reason for the decision.
President Donald Trump was joined at the White House on Monday (March 31) by Kid Rock for the signing of an executive order that instructs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce the BOTS Act and crack down on scalpers who illegally obtain high-priced concert tickets for resale.
Signed in 2016, the BOTS Act made it illegal to use specialized computer programs or automated bots to defeat access control systems designed to limit the number of tickets a person can purchase online for a popular concert. The legislation was created to combat bot-assisted attacks on high-profile ticket sales but has only been enforced once since its passage.
The order directs the FTC to work with Attorney General Pam Bondi to “ensure that competition laws are appropriately enforced in the concert and entertainment industry” and to “rigorously enforce the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act and promote its enforcement by state consumer protection authorities.” It additionally calls for greater transparency around ticket prices and asks law enforcement to “take enforcement action to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct in the secondary ticketing market”; and instructs both the Secretary of the Treasury (currently Scott Bessent) and the Attorney General to make sure “ticket scalpers are operating in full compliance with the Internal Revenue Code and other applicable law.”
The order also instructs the Treasury Department, the Department of Justice, and the FTC to deliver a report within 180 days “summarizing actions taken to address the issue of unfair practices in the live concert and entertainment industry and recommend additional regulations or legislation needed.”
During the signing, Rock thanked the president for the order, adding that it’s a first step in cracking down on bots that “come in and…get all the good tickets for your favorite shows they want to go to, and they relist them, sometimes for a 400 to 500% markup.”
The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) issued a statement shortly after the signing that read, “We applaud President Trump’s Executive Order to protect fans from ticket scalping by individuals and companies built to fleece American consumers. We are also encouraged to see the order’s aim to remedy anti-competitive actions by large corporations. These actions will help address the two problems jeopardizing the well-being of artists, independent stages, and fans: a predatory, unchecked resale market where bots and deceptive practices price gouge fans and the Live Nation monopoly that forces small businesses to shut their doors.”
The statement continued, “We want to thank Kid Rock for the education and advocacy he has provided policymakers on this critical issue. We urge Congress to heed his call to go further to protect artists in ticketing legislation, including a price cap on the resale market.”
Ticketing companies, booking agents, concert promoters and special interest music groups have all lobbied for greater FTC enforcement of the BOTS Act, which specifically “prohibits the circumvention of a security measure, access control system, or other technological measure on an Internet website or online service of a ticket issuer that is used to enforce posted event ticket purchasing limits.” Industry experts agree that companies like Ticketmaster are best suited for identifying bad actors, but can’t unilaterally take action and must work directly with federal authorities.
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Source: Kevin Winter / Getty / Amber Ruffin
We can add the White House Correspondents’ Association to the growing list of cowards who are afraid of Donald Trump and his bat-sh*t-crazy administration.
Spotted on The Daily Beast, comedian Amber Ruffin lost her gig as host of the upcoming White House Correspondents Dinner in April. It’s all because she said during a podcast that she plans to keep it real about Trump and the MAGA regime. Of course, Orange Mussolini’s administration was BIG MAD about her comments.
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On Thursday, Ruffin said on an episode of The Daily Beast podcast that she would not be doing the “both sides” thing regarding her jokes as instructed by the WHCA.
In response to Ruffin stating the obvious Felon 47’s second stint as president, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich called Ruffin a “2nd rate comedian” on X, formerly Twitter on Friday.
“What kind of responsible, sensible journalist would attend something like this?” he wrote. “More importantly, what kind of company would sponsor such a hate-filled and violence-inspiring event?”
Keep in mind this works for a regime that is rounding up people and deporting them, sending them to a notorious El Salvadoran prison without giving them their due process.
Per The Daily Beast:
She told hosts comedian Samantha Bee and Beast Chief Content Officer Joanna Coles that the Trump administration are “kind of a bunch of murderers,” adding that playing to both sides “makes them feel like human beings, but they shouldn’t get to feel that way, ’cause they’re not.”
A Saturday letter from Eugene Daniels, the president of the WHCA, to its members announced that he had been “re-envisioning” the April 26 dinner “for the past couple of weeks.” The WHCA is independent from the White House.
“As a first step, I wanted to share that the WHCA board has unanimously decided we are no longer featuring a comedic performance this year,” wrote Daniels, who is also a political correspondent for MSNBC. “At this consequential moment for journalism, I want to ensure the focus is not on the politics of division but entirely on awarding our colleagues for their outstanding work and providing scholarship and mentorship to the next generation of journalists.”
Daniels & The WHCA Initially Had High Praise For Ruffin
Daniels’ statement comes after he had high praise for Ruffin who previously hosted a late-night talk show on Peacock and is also a writer on Seth Myers’ show.
“When I began to think about what entertainer would be a perfect fit for the dinner this year, Amber was immediately at the top of my list,” Daniels said in an initial statement announcing after she got the gig. “She has the ability to walk the line between blistering commentary and humor all while provoking her audience to think about the important issues of the day. I’m thrilled and honored she said yes.”
Social Media Is Not Feeling The Decision To Fire Ruffin
As expected, the reaction to Ruffin’s firing for keeping it real is sparking outrage. What’s even more hilarious is Donald Trump and his lying Karen of a press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, won’t even be there, so seeing Daniels and the WHCA buckle under the MAGA pressure to appease someone who doesn’t even care for the event that he has in the past said was “so boring and so negative.”
“These people are fucking cowards,” journalist Michael Harriot wrote on X.
Another post read, “Where are all the “freedom of speech” “nothing is off limits” comedians for Amber Ruffin? Any time people don’t line a joke they can’t wait to tell us how it’s a violation of their rights. Anything for Amber yet?”
All valid points.
We truly hope some journalists and other comedians will stand in solidarity with Amber Ruffin because what is happening in this country is not normal.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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It’s time to acknowledge what has become painfully obvious: Kanye West’s legacy has imploded.
For years, we have watched his erratic descent play out in real time—his social media meltdowns, his desperate cries for attention, and his shameless alignment with the very people who spit in his mother’s face. But his latest unhinged rants on X, coupled with his long-standing pattern of disrespect toward the Black community, make it clear: this isn’t just an evolution. This is a self-inflicted catastrophe.
The tragic irony is that Kanye’s mother, Dr. Donda West, was a beacon of Black excellence. A scholar, an educator, and a woman who championed the very people her son now tramples over for sport. And yet, here he is, a man who once rapped about systemic oppression and Black empowerment, now reduced to begging for the approval of those who openly despise him. This is beyond a fall from grace—it’s a betrayal.
Kanye’s downward spiral became glaringly obvious in 2018 when he proudly declared his love for Donald Trump, paraded around in a MAGA hat, and told a room full of people at TMZ that slavery was a choice. That moment wasn’t just ignorant—it was dangerous. It was a direct slap in the face to the ancestors who endured unimaginable horrors so he could stand there and spew nonsense. And that was just the beginning.
That same year, he aligned himself with Candace Owens, a woman whose entire brand revolves around attacking the Black community while pandering to white conservatives. His obsession with acceptance from the people who mock him has led him to irrelevance and ridicule. From the “White Lives Matter” shirts to his latest delusional rants, Kanye has proven time and time again that he’s willing to sell out his people for attention.
His latest antics on X only further prove that his desperation knows no bounds. Attacking Black culture while simultaneously trying to weaponize his “Black children” narrative is the epitome of hypocrisy. One moment, he’s disrespecting the community that built him publicly; the next, he’s trying to rally us behind his personal drama. Kanye doesn’t love Black people—he only loves attention. And the sad reality? The world has stopped paying attention.
But perhaps the most unsettling part of this spectacle is not just his behavior but what it represents. Mental health advocate Bassey Ikpi once pointed out that mental illness is not always soft or sympathetic. It can be messy, unlikable, and even impossible to feel compassion for. Kanye is the embodiment of that truth. He is a man whose internal self-loathing has become an inescapable reality, projected outward for millions to witness. And yet, his wealth and fame ensure that no one can truly intervene. He will never hit the rock bottom that forces reflection. There will always be enablers, people willing to stand next to him for proximity to power.
What we are witnessing now is not just another controversial moment, another Kanye meltdown. As Ikpi describes, Kanye is a man orchestrating his own destruction in the most public way possible. He is ensuring that there is no path back, no redemption arc. It is not about whether what he says is right or wrong. It’s about the fact that he has created an environment where his self-hatred is reflected back at him by millions. And that, tragically, may be exactly what he wants.
This does not excuse him. Mental illness, no matter how severe, does not absolve a person of accountability. Kanye has actively harmed the very people who once uplifted him. He has turned his back on his culture, trading dignity for fleeting attention. But it does force us to consider the weight of what we are witnessing. We are not just watching a career implode; we are watching a man sever all ties to redemption, perhaps permanently.
For years, Black culture gave Kanye grace, excusing his missteps under the guise of artistic genius, mental health struggles, or simply misguided rebellion. But enough is enough. His latest spiral has shown us who he truly is—a man so addicted to fame that he willingly torches his community for a few headlines.
So goodbye, Mr. West. Whether by choice or circumstance, the culture doesn’t need you anymore.
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Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty
On Monday (March 17), President Donald Trump paid his first visit to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts since he ousted leadership and essentially appointed himself chairman of the D.C. arts institution. (Technically, there was a vote, but it was like if Scar from The Lion King was elected to chair of a board full of hyenas who hadn’t figured out they were being scammed yet.)
During the presser, Trump generally ignored the onslaught of esteemed artists — including Issa Rae, screenwriter Shonda Rhimes, and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda — who either canceled major shows at the Kennedy Center or cut ties with the institution altogether because they didn’t appreciate Trump using the highest office in the country to bully-foot his way into controlling the arts.
Instead, Trump appeared to focus on the physical condition of the building, and, of course, how he was going to save the venue by making it less “woke.”
From CNN:
“It’s in tremendous disrepair, as is a lot of the rest of our country, most of it because of bad management,” said Trump, who was elected chair last month by a newly constituted board, including several new Trump appointees who replaced trustees appointed by Democratic presidents.
Trump’s visit comes as he’s has sought to reshape the renowned arts institution – installing political loyalists in top leadership positions and criticizing its programming for being “woke.”
Trump on Monday called the Kennedy Center a “very big part of the fabric of Washington, DC,” adding, “We’re going to make our capitol great again, just like we’re going to make our country great again.”
At the board meeting – over which Trump presided on stage in the Opera House auditorium – he was flanked by more members, including Interim Executive Director Ric Grenell, second lady Usha Vance, interim Vice Chair Jennifer Fischer, Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Fox News anchors Maria Bartiromo and Laura Ingraham also attended, among others.
“The great Laura Ingraham,” Trump said off the top. “We’ve got a lot of power on this board.” It wasn’t just Trump’s close confidantes, however. Also on hand was DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.
On his tour of the facility, Trump specifically targeted the center’s appearance.
“You look at the columns outside, you look at they’re supposed to be covered by something, whether it’s marble, or whatever, granite. They were never covered. They were painted. But bring it into more modern times, a lot of money has been given to it, and the money has not been properly spent,” Trump told reporters.
CNN noted that the Kennedy Center’s website description says “the façade boasts Italian marble imported from three quarries, while the painted bronze exterior pillars mimic similar pillars featured as part of the US Embassy in Delhi, India. Both the Kennedy Center and the embassy were designed by American architect Edward Durell Stone.” But, hey, Trump got to be president without having any previous experience in any of the three branches of government, and he got to chair the Kennedy Center without any experience in the arts. Why shouldn’t he also be able to expertly critique the appearance of the center just because he also has no experience in architecture?
Anyway, we all know Trump’s hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center has nothing to do with the venue’s outside appearance. Last month, he declared his intention to hit the center with a MAGA overhaul that prioritizes white conservative-friendly art. (And we all know how popular jingoism, forced patriotism and thinly-veiled white nationalism are in the art world, amirite?)
Before Trump’s appearance, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that he “hopes to restore arts and culture that embrace American tradition, not disparage it, as we have unfortunately seen over the past several years.” In other words, Trump will abuse his leadership role to seize control of the mainstream culture and force art institutions to make the kind of art he likes. You know, there was once another world leader from Germany who did the same thing. (I forget his name, but Kanye West is a big fan of his and Elon Musk completely jacked his method of waving at people.)
Leavitt also said Trump would “perhaps be discussing some future plays and musicals and theatrical programs that the center will be hosting under his new leadership.” But he’s apparently not disappointed Hamilton won’t be one of those musicals, as he offered a petty response to the show’s producers canceling their show at the center.
“I never liked Hamilton very much,” he said.
To be fair, there was that one time his first VP, Mike Pence, got booed and heckled while attending a Hamilton show in New York, and Trump responded by demanding the cast and producers “apologize” and that the theater be made a “safe place” for, well, white-and-fragile right-wingers who call everyone else “snowflakes” whenever they call for anything to be a safe space.
So, maybe that’s what his takeover of the Kennedy Center is all about: creating a safe space for white nationalists and pseudo-patriots to enjoy whatever it is they call art.
Sad.
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Source: Andrew Harnik / Getty / Donald Trump
Are y’all tired of all the winning yet? As the stockmarket continued to tank, Donald Trump and the proxy POTUS, Elon Musk took the White House lawn to sell Tesla vehicles and it was an absolute sh*t show.
Donald Trump is an absolute embarrassment, and girfter that has no shame. The so-called President of The United States decided to help his MAGA benefactor, Elon Musk, whose companies have taken a hit after hitching his battery-powered wagon to the MAGA express, which is one stop straight to recession hell.
During the disastrous pitch, which many believe violated the Hatch Act, Trump was reduced to a car salesman—a terrible one at that.
Photographers who were at the corrupt commercial caught Trump orange-handed reading from a literal sales pitch full of talking points about Musk’s crappy electric vehicles.
On the note, you can see talking points like “Tesla Pricing” for the different vehicles and the “Full Self Driving” feature, as well as noting that the vehicles “can be purchased as low as $299/month or “$35k.”
Bruh.
Trump’s apparent lifeline to Tesla came after the stock market nosedived in response to his stupid tariffs and boycotts held around the globe at Tesla dealerships in response to Musk’s affiliation with Trump and ruining people’s lives as a result of the massive layoffs conducted by DOGE.
Donald Trump & Elon Musk Get Clowned On X
X, formerly Twitter, has been trolling Trump, who overnight became a fan of electric vehicles after being one of their staunchest critics.
“I don’t know how one can be an American citizen and not be deeply embarrassed by this. The leader of the free world reduced to reading ad copy for a car salesman,” a post on X read.
Even Whoopi Goldberg and The View got in on the act, calling Trump a used car salesman and creating a jingle.
https://x.com/DEADLINE/status/1899857122281804220
The corruption is very loud with this administration. We don’t want to hear a peep out of the GOP about Biden or Hillary Clinton ever again. You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
Jack White has once again turned his focus to U.S. politics, putting President Donald Trump and Elon Musk in his sights at a recent performance.
White is currently in the midst of his global No Name tour, which has seen him perform a number of concerts in areas as diverse as central America, Asia and Oceania in recent months. As Consequence of Sound points out, Feb. 18 saw White wrapping up a brief run of gigs in Canada and the northeastern U.S., closing out the dates with two nights at the Roadrunner in Boston.
During his main set, White shared a rendition of his 2018 single “Corporation,” which originally featured on his third solo album Boarding House Reach, and typically begins with the line “I’m thinking about starting a corporation. Who’s with me?”
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In the version played in Boston, White switched up the lyrics to offer a sharp-tongued takedown of Musk, leaning on the Tesla CEO’s involvement in the current administration after debuting the new line, “I was thinking about becoming an oligarch, who’s with me?”
“I was thinking about taking government subsidies and starting my own electric car company. Who’s with me?” White sang. “I’m thinking about not being elected. Never holding a public office. Never serving one day of military service. But somehow having the authority to control parts of the U.S. Government. Who’s with me?
“I’m thinking about not being properly vetted by the Supreme Court or Congress, just doing whatever the hell I want because some fucking bloated asshole orange fucking gorilla who’s failed at every business he’s ever ran wants me to be his golf cart partner!”
This isn’t the first time that White has changed his lyrics to reflect his distaste towards Trump. Previously, The White Stripes sold “Icky Trump” shirts during the President’s successful 2016 campaign, altering the title to their 2007 song “Icky Thump” in the process. In 2018, White performed the song with new lyrics that specifically called out the President by name.
More recently, White reacted to Trump’s 2024 election win by sharing a lengthy social media post in early November to express his disbelief at the state of U.S. politics.
“Americans chose a known, obvious fascist and now America will get whatever this wannabe dictator wants to enact from here on in,” he wrote. “It’s absolutely dumbfounding that this con man succeeded in pulling the wool over so many Americans eyes not once, but twice.”
White has since returned to the road since his February performance, appearing in Europe and the U.K. before his current Japanese leg. However, he’s yet to perform “Corporation” again since the Boston show.
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Source: Pacific Press / Getty / Tesla / Elon Musk / Donald Trump
Donald Trump and his MAGA cult are now all-in on electric cars, specifically, Elon Musk’s crappy Tesla vehicles after the company’s stock continues to take a hit, and sales stall due to him Musk hitching his wagon to the Trump train and being a douche.
Orange Mussolini and his loyal supporters are vowing to buy the once popular, but extremely poorly designed electric car in response to protests of the EV company across the nation in response to Musk’s DOGE ruining federal workers’ lives following unjust mass layoffs in the name of reducing government spending.
Taking to his favorite megaphone, Truth Social, Trump announced he will purchase a Tesla vehicle to show confidence in Musk and his company while incorrectly calling boycotts of Tesla illegal.
Per CNBC:
“I’m going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American,” Trump wrote in a post published early Tuesday morning on Truth Social.
Trump said “radical left lunatics” are “illegally and collusively” boycotting Tesla, which the president described as one of the best automakers in the world. This action, Trump said, was meant as an attack on Musk and what he stands for.
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1899520772139372904
For those who believe everything Trump says, boycotting companies is not illegal. In 1982, the Supreme Court ruled that the First Amendment protects American citizens’ rights to protest private businesses.
Elon Musk’s Businesses Are Suffering Globally
Source: ELSA BIYICK / Getty
Anyway, in a recent interview, Musk himself acknowledged that the self-inflicted harm to his businesses was leading to him running them “with great difficulty.” This wouldn’t have been the case if he hadn’t gotten into politics, specifically giving Donald Trump ridiculous amounts of money to ensure his return to the White House.
https://x.com/MirageWL8/status/1898870276315927032
Musk rallied against the people who were buying his vehicles, opting to side with the folks who clowned his cars in the first place because electric vehicles can compare to good old fashioned gasoline-powered cars that ruin the environment and cause climate change that they they constantly deem a hoax, even thought they have seen their houses burn down or be washed away in unprecedented natural disasters.
MAGA Republicans Love Tesla Electric Vehicles All of A Sudden
Now, as we are in the upside down, in an attempt to “own the libs,” following Cheeto Jesus’ footsteps, they are claiming they are getting Teslas to help Musk out and stand with him as he loses billions.
https://x.com/rolandsmartin/status/1899505153239101713
Bruh, the stupidity mixed with hypocrisy is off the chains.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Source: Alex Wong / Getty / Donald Trump
Donald Trump is on a quest to make America broke again, oops we mean “wealthy again” through tariffs, but he keeps ignoring what economists are trying to get through his thick orange head, regular Americans will feel the pain through their wallets.
Felon 47, for whatever reason, is obsessed with tariffs and believes they are a great tool against our three main trade partners, Canada, China, and Mexico because he feels we are being “ripped off,” in the trade deal he negotiated during his first term.
Trump didn’t waste any time imposing a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico, but he pulled some back after the stock market reacted negatively. As of this writing, the markets continue to tank due to his bonehead decision.
The Orange Menace imposed an additional 10% tariff on goods from China on top of the 10% tariff he imposed on the country in February. Analysts believe that Trump’s new round of tariffs will make video games and other electronics more expensive and push publishers to abandon physical releases.
https://x.com/ZhugeEX/status/1896897066888278262
GameRant reports that Trump’s tariffs on Mexico could make consoles like the Nintendo Switch 2 more expensive and have other negative implications.
Per GameRant:
Industry experts are particularly concerned about the ripple effects on the video games market. Mat Piscatella, Circana Executive Director and Video Game Industry Analyst, predicts a “sharp downtick” in the number of physical game releases in the United States. Much of the production infrastructure for these games is based in Mexico, and a 25% tariff would disrupt supply chains, increasing manufacturing costs. As a result, retailers may raise prices on both physical and digital games to maintain price parity. “If physical game prices go up, digital games’ MSRPs will likely follow,” Piscatella noted in a recent discussion on Bluesky. He expressed doubts about any positive outcomes for the physical game market in the near future.
Bruh.
During Trump’s first disastrous presidency, the video game industry convinced him to chill and exclude them in the tariffs he placed on Chinese goods, but he has not extended the same grace.
The ESA warned that Trump’s tariffs could significantly harm the video game industry. There are fears that Project 2025, the extreme right-wing playbook that Trump claims he knows nothing about, could somehow interfere with the release of Grand Theft Auto 6 because the language in it suggests possible censorship of games like GTA 6 due to their graphic and violent nature.
This nightmare is just beginning. Brace yourselves, it’s going to be a long four years. You can see reactions in the gallery below.