politics
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Antonio Brown is drawing conclusions about Taylor Swift after the pop star embraced Brittany Mahomes at the U.S. Open Sunday (Sept. 8). Sharing a photo of Swift smiling next to Travis Kelce at the prestigious tennis event while hugging the retired soccer player — who is married to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — […]
Elton John loves a good joke. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer revealed over the weekend that he thought former one-term President Donald Trump’s repurposing of the pop star’s 1972 classic “Rocket Man” as a nickname for North Korean dictator Kim Jung Un was “hilarious.”
That’s what John, 77, told Variety during the Toronto Film Festival after Friday’s premiere of the Disney+ documentary Elton John: Never Too Late. Trump, who frequently boasted of his good relations with dictators such as Un and Russian president Vladimir Putin during his term in office — and who has made a habit of referring to friends and foes alike with taunting nicknames — proudly referred to the North Korean leader as “Little Rocket Man” in press briefings.
“I laughed, I thought that was brilliant,” said John. “I just thought, ‘Good on you, Donald.’ … Donald’s always been a fan of mine, and he’s been to my concerts many, many times. So, I mean, I’ve always been friendly toward him, and I thank him for his support. When he did that, I just thought it was hilarious. It made me laugh.”
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Trump administration CIA director/Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in his 2022 Never Give An Inch memoir that Trump had to explain the nickname to Un, who was reportedly not familiar with John’s music when Trump autographed one of Elton’s CD’s as a gift to the dictator.
In 2018, South Korean media reported that when Pompeo visited North Korea that July for a round of denuclearization talks, the commander-in-chief sent along two gifts for his North Korean counterpart: a personal note as well as a signed CD with a recording of John’s “Rocket Man” after Un said during an earlier meeting with Trump that he did not know the Honky Chateau hit.
John said he was not surprised by any of it. “Of course he hasn’t heard of me, Kim Jong Un. I’d be very surprised if he had,” John told the magazine. “I’ve never toured North Korea, and I have no intention of doing so. But, I thought it was a light moment, and it was fun.”
Though John had a jovial attitude about the musical way twice-impeached Trump cozied up to the North Korean strongman whose decade-plus in office has been marked by the reported assassinations of family members, repression of human rights and widespread starvation, Variety noted that the singer also seemed to take a veiled swipe at the convicted felon who will face off with Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris in their first, and only, debate on Tuesday night (Sept. 10).
“Kindness will always win out… that’s what I hope for the American election in November,” said John, who later elaborated on what many political experts warn is an existential choice American voters are facing in November’s presidential face-off. “I don’t go on stage and say to people, ‘You must vote for the Republicans, you must vote for the Democrats.’ It’s none of my business how they vote. They come to see me, and I’m so grateful they have,” said John. “What I want by saying that last night … there is a danger, as Dick Cheney said the other day. America is in a very volatile position. And it’s a country I love, and I’ve always loved, and I’m so thankful that it made me who I am.”
During the 2016 presidential contest, John hailed then Democratic candidate former Senator and Sec. of State Hillary Clinton. “America is already great – and Hillary is a part of the reason why. So tonight, I’m proud to say: I’m with her!” he said at an all-star fundraiser for the former First Lady in what turned out to be a losing contest with Trump.
Over the weekend, former Bush administration Vice President and staunch Republican Dick Cheney announced that he will be voting for Democrat Harris over Trump while issuing a warning that Trump should “never be trusted with power again,” adding, “In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him.”
John, who is a citizen of the UK despite owning homes in the U.S. for decades, made it clear that he is not the type to tell people how to vote or how to feel about their elected officials. “I just want people to vote for things that are just, things that are important to people: the right to choose, the right to be who you are, and not let anybody else tell you who to be. And that goes all the way up to the Supreme Court,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly boasted of seating three conservative justices on the Supreme Court who helped reverse more than half a century of precedent when they overturned the constitutional right to abortion in 2022; in his concurring opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, conservative justice Clarence Thomas appeared to suggest that other long-established precedents, including the 2015 decision legalizing gay marriage, could also be up for reconsideration, or reversal, in the future.
John, who shares two young children with husband/manager David Furnish, fell short of an explicit endorsement of either major party candidate, but did encourage Americans to vote with their hearts and choose hope over bluster and division. “I just hope that people make the right decision to see what the future is going to be. Is it going to be fire and brimstone … or are we going to have a much calmer, a much safer place?” John said. “People can vote for who they like, but as far as I’m concerned, I love love. And I’m a loving person, and I want that to come back to America. I feel it’s been lost in the last 12 years.”
Elton John: Never Too Late will have a limited theatrical run in November before streaming on Disney+ beginning Dec. 13.
Jason Aldean defended wife Brittany Aldean’s stance on gender-affirming care for transgender youth and his thoughts on Donald Trump during an on The Tucker Carlson Show Sept. 4.
The former Fox News host brought up Brittany’s previous comments calling gender-affirming care for transgender youth “genital mutilation” in a social media post in 2022, which garnered backlash from artists including Maren Morris and Cassadee Pope.
“My wife is very outspoken and she’s very firm in her beliefs,” Aldean said, noting that the couple share a 5- and 6-year-old, and that he also has a 21- and 17-year-old. “We were talking about it earlier, you’re trying to make things normal to me that aren’t normal. And, I think when she said that, it’s just like there’s a certain — I feel there are people that are going to take offense to everything these days, no matter what you say. [Brittany] said that and people jumped all over that, but I mean, I agree with her.
“If you want to be trans or do those kinds of things, if you’re an adult and can make those decisions and you’re old enough to have the mentality to know what you’re doing and know what that looks like for the rest of your life, that’s one thing,” he continued. “If you’re, as a kid, your parents are already instilling that in you and, like, all this stuff and allowing you to do those things before you are of age … you can’t even vote until you’re 18. Why should you be able to do that? Or [you can’t] drink a beer until you’re 21, but you can change your … it’s just weird to me. I think if somebody wants to do that and they’re old enough to make that decision, hey, it doesn’t affect my life, whatever. But you can’t try to make that normal to everybody.”
Aldean later added, “I got to send my kid to school and we’re talking about, like, the transgender stuff and like, ‘What do I do if he comes home and is, like, ‘Man, there’s a girl in my class that’s a boy.’ That’s hard to explain to a 5- or 6-year-old. I don’t want to have to explain those kinds of things to a 5-year-old who doesn’t get it … it’s those kinds of things that made me kind of step up [politically] a little bit more.”
The Endocrine Society and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health do not recommend gender-affirming surgery for anyone under 18, and medical experts who provide this type of care previously told Billboard that underage patients are not allowed to make such life-changing decisions by themselves.
“Prior to any gender-affirming medical or surgical intervention, all minors must have an intake with a knowledgeable mental health provider internal to our system,” Dr. Joshua D. Safer told Billboard in 2022, after Brittany made her initial statements. “Once deemed ready for a medical/surgical intervention, the processes we have for adults are then brought into play.”
Elsewhere during the chat with Carlson, the country artist discussed the upcoming election, as well as his friendship with Trump.
“I love Trump, man,” Aldean said, and recounted how he got to know the twice-impeached former president. “I did think it was cool that here’s this guy that is really not a politician, and at the time you had, all the A-list stars were going, ‘Oh, Trump’s running for president.’ They were all excited, almost kind of like it was a joke a little bit. And then, he won, and I don’t think anybody thought he would win. And for the next eight years, it’s been nothing but trying to just, like, slander this guy and just all the stuff you watch him deal with in the media.”
The musician also shared how he had been invited to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida residence, where they played golf and generally “hit it off.” Added Aldean, “I kept in touch with him over the past few years, and try to see him when I can.”
The country artist, who sat next to Trump during the Republican National Convention, said that he “had no intentions of getting political — it just kind of happened.” He noted that having young children inspired him and his wife to pay more attention to politics. “My thing is, I don’t vote for the person,” he shared. “Like, as much as people may say that’s a lie or whatever, for me it’s like, ‘Which of these groups is going to take the country in a direction that I feel like it should be taken for my family, my kids and their future and those kind of things and to me, that’s what I base it on. I feel like personally, for me, that’s him.”
As for whether Trump will win, Aldean said he hoped so, but he thought the business mogul — who was convicted of 34 charges of falsifying business records in May — was going to win in 2020 as well. “I’m obviously a supporter of Trump. Do I think he can be brash sometimes and say some things that he could probably have a bit better of a bedside manner? Sure,” he admitted. “At the end of the day, I don’t really care if he hurts your feelings or not, as long as, like, as a country we’re moving in the right direction, the economy is great, there’s jobs for people. … One of the reasons I’m a supporter of his, I just like the direction I feel like he would take us.”
Watch Aldean’s full interview with Carlson below:
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As the self-proclaimed Hot Girl Coach, Megan Thee Stallion is ready to see a strong Black woman take the wheel as President of the United States. And in her cover story with Billboard published Wednesday (Sept. 4), the 29-year-old rapper emphasizes that people need to get out and vote in order for Democratic candidate Kamala […]
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The estate of Isaac Hayes won a personal victory after requesting through legal means that Donald Trump no longer use a popular track from the late singer and songwriter. A federal judge ruled that the Isaac Hayes hit “Hold On, I’m Coming” can no longer be placed by Donald Trump as he continues ahead on the campaign trail.
CNN reports that the estate of Isaac Hayes filed to enact an emergency injunction against Donald Trump’s campaign to halt the playing of “Hold On, I’m Coming,” performed and released in 1966 by Sam & Dave with Hayes and David Porter listed as songwriters. The estate states that Trump and his team do not have authorization to play the song.
Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia issued the ruling on Tuesday (September 3).
“I do order Trump and his campaign to not use the song without proper license,” Judge Thrash said. The estate wanted to enforce a motion to have Trump’s campaign take down previous uses of the song but it was denied.
An attorney for Trump shared a statement with the media and was in support of the judge keeping the previous uses of the song intact.
“The campaign has no interest in annoying or hurting anyone. And if the Hayes family feels it hurts or annoys them, that’s fine, we’re not going to force the issue,” attorney Roland Coleman said.
After the hearing, Isaac Hayes III said, “We are very grateful and happy for the decision by Judge Thrash. I want this to serve as an opportunity for other artists to come forward that don’t want their music used by Donald Trump or other political entities.”
The Hayes estate has been battling Trump on the use of the song since 2022 when the business mogul announced his reelection bid.
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Photo: Tim Mosenfelder / Getty
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Knowa De Baraso found himself going viral after a star showing at this year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and it sparked a job offer right on the spot. Roland S. Martin, impressed with the young yet impressive political pundit, offered Knowa De Baraso a show on his network.
Knowa De Baraso, 12, emerged as a bright star amongst the big names at the Democratic National Convention, gamely taking on Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, and challenging the businessman about his support of election fraud in the last election despite it being unfounded. The video of the exchange went viral, and landed the home-schooled commentator on the national stage.
Variety reports that after meeting with Roland S. Martin, the veteran broadcaster was so impressed with De Baraso that he offered him an opportunity to host a show on Martin’s Black Star Network.
From Variety:
“It’s not just his knowledge of the issues. It’s his energy,” Martin told Variety. In De Baraso, he sees a kindred spirit. Martin set his sights on a career in media and journalism as a 13-year-old when he first stepped into a communications-focused magnet program at Houston’s Jack Yates High School in the 1980s.
“It’s all about the desire and the urgency of the individual,” Martin said. “This kid’s got it. You have to nurture that and develop that. Those of us in African American media have to leverage our platform to create opportunities for the next generation.”
Another moment showcasing De Baraso’s political brilliance was an interview with Mark Austin of Sky News. De Baraso schooled his older counterpart on how people of his generation are accessing news regarding politics and how Vice President Kamala Harris is reaching the youth where it counts. That video can be viewed below.
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Photo: Knowa De Baraso / @KnowaWasTaken
Siding with the estate of Isaac Hayes, a federal judge has issued a temporary order prohibiting former President Donald Trump and his campaign from playing the singer’s “Hold On, I’m Coming” at rallies.
Weeks after Hayes’ heirs accused Trump of using the song without a license, Judge Thomas Thrash Jr. granted the estate a preliminary injunction on Tuesday (Sep. 3): “I do order Trump and his campaign to not use the song without proper license,” the judge said at a hearing, as reported by CNN.
The judge’s order bars the campaign from continuing to publicly perform the song at future rallies while the case plays out, according to CNN, but the judge denied a request for a more expansive order that would have forced the campaign to pull down videos of rallies in which the song can be heard.
An attorney for the Hayes estate did not immediately return a request for comment. An attorney for Trump confirmed that the order was issued, though he stressed that the campaign had already agreed to stop using the song at rallies.
Hayes’ estate sued Trump last month, accusing the campaign of using “Hold On” at rallies and in video recordings of those events. Hayes co-wrote the 1966 song, which was performed and released by the duo Sam & Dave.
Every four years, artists complain about the use of their music by politicians — often with mixed results. But the 2024 campaign season has seen a particular outburst of gripes about music used by Trump. Beyoncé, Celine Dion, the Foo Fighters, Jack White, ABBA and Sinead O’Connor‘s estate have all spoken out against the former president’s use of their songs — some merely with social media posts and others with cease-and-desist letters from their lawyers.
The Hayes estate went a step further, filing a federal lawsuit on Aug. 16 against Trump, his campaign, the Republican National Committee and others. The case accused the campaign of infringing copyrights, but also of violating federal trademark law — essentially claiming that the campaign’s use of the song made it appear that Hayes or his heirs had endorsed Trump’s bid to return to the White House.
The campaign has claimed that its use of Hayes’ song was covered by a so-called blanket license it purchased from BMI, which grants political campaigns the legal right to perform millions of different copyrighted songs at rallies. But the Hayes estate says it withdrew the song from that catalog in June — and that the Trump campaign was notified of the change in writing. It’s also unclear if such a license would cover the use of the song in video recordings of the rallies.
The flurry of complaints against Trump is nothing new. In past election cycles, the Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Adele, Rihanna, Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park, and the estates of Prince and Tom Petty have all asked the Republican candidate to stop using their music.
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R&B singer Tyrese tried to have a moment as a political pundit, and it did not go well for him. After admonishing President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for allegedly not doing enough for Black people, social media users proceeded to drag him to the ends of the “loud and wrong” universe.
It started when footage of Tyrese speaking to Dr. Benjamin Crump started going viral. In the clip, the crooner was being critical of Harris and Biden for passing an Anti-Asian Hate Crime Bill that allegedly leapfrogged the problems of Black people throughout the nation.
“President Biden and Kamala Harris signed an Asian Hate Crime Bill, which makes it beyond illegal to ever purposely or maliciously do anything to anybody in the Asian community,” said Tyrese. “And there was a spike in crimes and criminal behavior in and around COVID allegedly and specifically motivated by Donald Trump. So everybody started treating Asians… beating them, killing them, shooting them, stabbing them, hurting them. And then [Biden] gets into the White House and skips over every Black and Brown Mexican and Latino that has been getting killed like flies and he makes it a low: Asian Hate Crime Bill.”
Black Ty wasn’t finished. He continued, “There is a crime bill that was signed into law that protects Asians at all costs. Where is that same f*cking law to be signed into law when it comes to Black and Brown people? Because what you’re doing is—President Biden and Kamala Harris—what you’re doing is, you’re saying that Black and Brown people will continue to be disposable. That sh*t doesn’t make sense.”
This Biden and Harris helped Asians and not Black people narrative has been running on social media for a while, but the problem is that it’s highly inaccurate. And for this, Tyrese proceeded to get schooled by anyone with actual political awareness beyond memes and barbershop talking points.
Off top, there is no Anti-Asia Hate Crime Bill, it’s actually called the Covid-19 Hate Crime Bill. In actuality, there have been a number of bills passed specifically tailored for the defense of Black people that include the Civil Rights Act of 1969 and more recently the Emmett Till Antilynching Act a hate crime bill of 2021, which Biden signed. Many people are quick to note all this energy about Democrats not really looking out for Black people, yet most progressive bills (like the George Floyd Act) were blocked by Republicans.
What makes all this particularly frustrating to people who know better, is that all the intel needed to counter such misinformation is just a Google search away. Add to this mix that a loud minority of Black men are doing it, and it’s just the nastiest of work.
Worth noting, Tyrese also recently revealed that he was taking a break (“go dark”) from social media. Do some reading sir, respectfully.
Check out the lessons Tyrese is getting in the gallery. Consider it the hard way of getting knowledge on these Internets.
Puerto Rican reggaetón stars Anuel AA and Justin Quiles took the stage to support Donald Trump during a rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on Friday night (Aug. 30). Both reggaetón stars were called to the podium by Trump, who introduced them as “two amazing Puerto Rican musical legends,” and then added: “Every Puerto Rican is going to vote for Trump.”
Wearing Make America Great Again red baseball caps, Quiles and Anuel walked up to the podium and firmly shook Trump’s hand before Anuel took the mic and introduced himself to a crowd that clearly was not familiar with the two Latin artists and initially was subdued in its cheering.
“Thank you, Mr. President, for having us here,” said Anuel. “For me, it’s a real blessing to be here. I’m from Puerto Rico. Since Trump hasn’t been around, it’s not a secret, we’ve been going through a lot as a country. Biden always promised, promised. A lot of politicians promised through the years. All of us know … the best president the world has seen, this country has ever seen, his name is President Trump. So, all my Puerto Ricans, let’s stay united. Let’s vote for Trump. I personally spoke with him, he wants to help Puerto Rico grow and succeed as a country. He wants to keep helping Latinos in the U.S. Let’s keep doing things the right way and let’s make America great again,” said Anuel, this time to louder cheering.
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Then Quiles took the podium and added, reading from a sheet of paper: “I’ll also say a few words. Mr. President, I’m beyond honored. Mr. President, above all, I like you because, I’ve always said this, you’re not a puppet. I back you because I feel you’re the most honest president we ever had. That’s true!,” Quiles said, looking up at the now more energized crowd as Trump smiled behind him. “Saying things how they are, not what you think people want to hear, and that’s very important. A lot of Latinos, we stand strong next to President Trump. Thank you for sharing back there how important building Puerto Rico up again is, and not just Puerto Rico — let’s make America great again!”
Quiles and Anuel then shook Trump’s hand again and walked out to cheers, as Trump reclaimed the podium and said, “Wow, that’s great.”
Latin artists have been largely muted during the U.S. presidential campaign, and no major Latin artist had shown up at any rally until Friday night. Anuel and Quiles’ endorsement of Trump is the most prominent endorsement of the Republican candidate so far. Prior to the rally, Anuel and Quiles both posted videos to their respective Instagram stories of Trump’s campaign plane. Quiles also posted a photo of a white baseball cap emblazoned with the words “Make Puerto Rico great again.”
Watch Anuel and Quiles’ speeches at the rally below:
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Maren Morris went through a scary time period after she called out Morgan Wallen three years ago, especially where her young son was concerned. In a new interview on the Work in Progress podcast posted Thursday (Aug. 29), the 34-year-old musician opened up about the backlash she received immediately after slamming the “Last Night” singer […]