politics
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Following a Donald Trump rally at Madison Square Garden over the weekend that included racist and derogatory comments about Latinos, Puerto Rico and others, a representative for the Manhattan arena distanced itself from highly publicized remarks but stopped short of condemning the comments.
“As a business we are neutral in political matters,” the rep says in a statement provided to Billboard. “We rent to either side. We don’t censor artists, performers or speakers.”
The statement follows an appearance at the rally by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe, whose 12-minute address involved a series of disparaging remarks about Palestinians, Jewish people, Latinos, major musical stars and more.
“These Latinos, they love making babies, just know that. They do. There’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country,” said Hinchcliffe, host of the popular live comedy podcast Kill Tony. He followed that statement by saying, “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
This latter statement garnered swift and widespread backlash, with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris quickly releasing a video pledging to do her best for the citizens of the island. Harris’ video was boosted by myriad Puerto Rican artists including Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and Luis Fonsi.
On Monday (Oct. 28), Marc Anthony also responded, writing on X (formerly Twitter) that “[Trump] launched his campaign by calling Latinos criminals and rapists. He’s told us what he’ll do. He’ll separate children from their families and threatened to use the ARMY to do it This election goes way beyond political parties… And that’s why I support Kamala Harris for President.”
For the Sunday (Oct. 27) rally, the Trump campaign rented Madison Square Garden, which has been used for a number of political events over its long history, including both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. During the rally, the Democratic National Committee projected messages on the side of the venue, including one that read “Trump Praised Hitler.” (To wit, in 1939, Madison Square Garden hosted a rally for the American Nazi party that was billed as a “pro-Americanism” and attended by approximately 20,000 people. The American Nazi party was later outlawed following Adolf Hitler’s declaration of war against the U.S. following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor at the end of 1941.)
In addition to his other remarks, Hinchecliff’s speech included several derogatory statements about major music stars. “I don’t know about you, but I think that Travis Kelce might be the next O.J. Simpson,” he said in reference to the boyfriend of Taylor Swift, whom Trump lashed out at on X (formerly Twitter) after the superstar endorsed Harris for president in September.
The comedian also referenced Harris supporters Leonardo DiCaprio, Eminem and Beyoncè, saying that “every day the Democratic party looks more like a P. Diddy party.”
During his speech, Trump himself called Madison Square Garden “incredible” and thanked MSG Entertainment CEO James Dolan, a registered Democrat who’s been friends with Trump for more three decades. “I want to thank Jim Dolan,” Trump said. “He’s been incredible. He’s been just incredible. The job they’ve done. The job they’ve done. Thank you.”
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Michelle Obama, the former First Lady of the United States, knows a bit about how media will dissect a political figure’s every move and she used that firsthand knowledge to great effect. During a rally in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama took shots at Harris’ opponent Donald Trump, and slammed the media’s nitpicking of the Democratic Party hopeful’s interviews in comparison to the former president.
Michelle Obama was in Kalamazoo, Mich. over the weekend at a rally for Harris and she was very clear in calling out Trump for what she framed as “gross incompetence” while Harris is expected to “dazzle” each time she’s made media appearances and during interviews.
From the speech:
So I hope you’ll forgive me if I’m a little frustrated that some of us are choosing to ignore Donald Trump’s gross incompetence while asking Kamala to dazzle us at every turn. I hope that you’ll forgive me if I’m a little angry that we are indifferent to his erratic behavior, his obvious mental decline, his history as a convicted felon, a known slumlord, a predator found liable for sexual abuse, all of this, while we pick apart Kamala’s answers from interviews that he doesn’t even have the courage to do, y’all.
To Obama’s point, Trump has elected to duck certain media appearances and debates in favor of rallies, such as the racially charged event in New York over the weekend that featured a parade of speakers spewing racist rhetoric against Puerto Ricans and Black Americans.
Harris has been under harsher lights and every gaffe is highlighted and magnified to a degree we haven’t truly seen with Trump’s campaign. No matter which side of the political aisle one stands, the difference in coverage is stark.
Watch Michelle Obama’s Michigan rally speech in full below.
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Photo: Getty
GloRilla has endorsed Kamala Harris for president ahead of the 2024 U.S. elections taking place next week. The 25-year-old MC outlined four reasons why people should pick her for president in a video posted to her TikTok account Monday (Oct. 28): “A woman’s right to choose, Protect the LGBTQIA+ Community, Funding for Public Education and […]
By now, Mariah Carey‘s annual “It’s Time!” videos — in which she cheekily sings the phrase in her whistling register before the opening notes of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” come in to ring in the Christmas season — are a holiday hallmark as much as snowmen and gingerbread cookies. In an Instagram video shared Monday (Oct. 28), Carey teamed up with Emmy-winning actress and producer Kerry Washington for an election-themed spin on the popular meme.
“No, no, no! It’s not your season yet, Mariah. It’s voting season!” Washington quips as she interrupts Carey’s “All I Want” intro while clad in a white T-shirt and black cap, both emblazoned with “vote.”
After a playfully annoyed “What? OK,” the five-time Grammy winner then affirmatively responds to Washington’s queries about her voting plans for Election Day (Nov. 5). “Have you registered? Have you made a plan?” Washington asks, alluding to the myriad ways voters can make their voices heard at the ballot box next month. Carey, in a characteristically Christmas-y red top, plaid skirt, black tights and boots, replied that she already registered to vote and “executed” her voting plan.
“That’s amazing!” Washington exclaimed. “Because it’s my season before it’s her season. So, now all we need is you!” To drive home the final word of her sentence, Washington and Carey returned to singing as they harmonized the “you” riff from the beginning of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” Carey even vocalized a bit of the instrumental before the pair sang the opening note of the first verse in unison. Given Washington’s musical background — she starred in Ryan Murphy’s Golden Globe-nominated film adaptation of the Tony-nominated Prom musical in 2020 — the actress proved to be a formidable duet partner for the singer.
Carey and Washington’s cheeky clip continues the Scandal actress’ involvement in getting out the vote for the 2024 election. She served as emcee for the final night of August’s Democratic National Convention and recently lent her voice to a historic radio ad campaign targeting Black voters. Last year, Carey visited the White House with her twins Moroccan and Monroe to ring in the Christmas season with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
This year, Carey is celebrating 30 years of her Merry Christmas album, which has spent two weeks atop Holiday Albums. The legendary set, which houses her Billboard Hot 100-topping “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” will receive a special anniversary release later this year. On Nov. 6, she will kick off her Christmas Time tour in Highland, Calif. The trek will visit major cities such as Houston and Nashville before concluding in Brooklyn on Dec. 17.
Watch Mariah Carey and Kerry Washington’s video encouraging fans to vote:
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Source: Alex Wong / Getty
CNN commentator Van Jones brought up a good (albeit obvious AF) point regarding a glaring double standard applied to Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in the race for the presidency. During CNN’s Town Hall with Harris, which aired Wednesday (Oct. 23) , Harris answered some tough questions from audience members, and she held her own. However, pundits, especially right-wing pundits, predictably picked her apart and scrutinized her performance in ways they don’t when Trump — arguably the most boorish, childish, bigoted, and idiotic blowhard in the history of modern politics — is in the spotlight.
From thegrio:
On the heels of major news that Donald Trump was quoted admiring Hitler’s generals and was called “fascist” by his longest-serving chief of staff, Harris found herself being criticized by some TV analysts after the town hall for sometimes having long, nuanced answers to policy questions. Trump declined to attend the debate altogether despite multiple debates being standard for a presidential campaign.
“Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are not taking the same exam. And I think it bothers people,” Jones said during a political panel. “He gets to lawless, she has to be flawless. That’s what’s unfair.
“That’s what’s unfair tonight. They’re not taking the same exam. Look she has policies. She may not articulate them perfectly every time. She may not put the stories in the right places. But she’s fighting for actual ideas that will help real people. And he’s talking about people’s penises … It’s pissing me off.”
Now, listen: Typically, Van Jones is a flip-flopping Aaron Burr-ass political analyst who straddles the line between progressive and conservative and can’t seem to decide whether he wants to denounce Trump or hump his leg a little — but this time, he’s pretty spot on.
Harris’ critics have balked about her not revealing any specific policy ideas, despite the fact that she has been far more candid regarding details of her plans than the guy who said on the debate stage that he merely has “concepts of a plan.”
We should have no interest in any political analyst who is complaining that Harris can have “long, nuanced answers to policy questions” while Trump is out here screaming like a tinfoil hat-wearing maniac about pet-eating Haitians, cancer-causing-windmills, medical Lysol-injections, military boat-sinking batteries that may cause shark attacks, and cops who need “one real rough, nasty day” where they can freely commit acts of police brutality.
I mean, look at what Trump said about late pro-golfer Arnold Palmer just this week. Imagine the media uproar if Kamala Harris stood on a nationally televised stage in front of a massive audience and said this:
“Arnold Palmer was all man and I say that in all due respect to women, and I love women, but this is a guy that was all man…When he took showers with the other pros they came out of there, they said, ‘Oh my God. That’s unbelievable.’”
So, yeah — Harris and Trump might be running in the same race, but they’re not being graded on the same curve. Not by a long shot.
The Harris campaign will continue to rock this week with another campaign event featuring prominent musical guests. According to an announcement for the When We Vote We Win event in Madison, WI on Wednesday (Oct. 30) evening, it will feature Democratic Presidential candidate current V.P. Kamala Harris, as well as appearances from Gracie Abrams, Remi […]
Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin were among the prominent artists who showed support for Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign on Sunday (Oct. 27) after a speaker at a Donald Trump rally made a racist joke about Puerto Rico. All three boosted a video from the Democratic candidate pledging to do her best for the citizens of the island nation following what CNN described as a Trump rally brimming with “blistering anti-migrant rhetoric [that] ranks alongside the most flagrant demagoguery by a major figure in any Western nation since World War II.”
Their show of support for Harris came after comedian/podcaster Tony Hinchcliffe opened for convicted felon Trump at a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden by offering up the racist jibe, “There’s literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it’s called Puerto Rico.”
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In addition, Hinchcliffe — one of nearly 30 speakers who warmed up the crowd for twice impeached former Pres. Trump — also made other racist and sexist jokes about Latinos (“they love making babies… there’s no pulling out. They don’t do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country”) as well as racist jibes about his Black “buddies” who he “carved watermelons” with and an antisemitic joke about how “Jews have a hard time throwing that paper.”
According to reports, the attempts at humor did not go over well inside the room, where they were met with tepid applause. And in an unusual apology from the Trump campaign, a senior advisor said in a statement afterwards that “this joke does not reflect the views of President Trump or the campaign,” seemingly in reference to the Puerto Rico joke. The Harris campaign referred to the Hinchcliffe set as “a vile racist tirade against Latinos.”
The racist comment immediately galvanized the trio of Puerto Rican artists, with Bad Bunny re-posting a video message from Harris in which she discussed the importance of the election for the citizens of the U.S. territory, reminding them what Trump “did and did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader” after the nation was hit with devastating damage after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017; a new report revealed that the Trump administration obstructed an investigation into why officials withheld $20 billion in hurricane relief from P.R. following Maria.
In addition to Bad Bunny sharing the message with his 45 million Instagram followers, Martin also boosted the Harris video to his nearly 19 million followers on his Instagram Stories, adding the message, “I remember @kamalaharris,” as did Lopez, whose re-post to her 250 million Instagram followers included links to Harris’ socials as well as a hands clapping emoji. Martin also claimed that his posts on X with similar content were being suppressed on the platform owned by Trump financial backer Elon Musk.
“Despacito” star and P.R. native Luis Fonsi reposted the Hinchcliffe video on his Stories with the message “Are you serious?,” as well as a portion of the Harris video and a lengthy personal note responding to the hate speech. “I understand comedy, I’m a big fan of it,” he wrote. I love roasts, trust me I get it. BUT… this is far from comedy. Not now, not against my island [Puerto Rico flag emoji], my people. Hell nah!”
Fonsi said it’s okay to have different views, but racism is not acceptable. ““We are not OK with this constant hate. It’s been abundantly clear that these people have no respect for us and yet they want our vote,” Fonsi wrote. “I purposely wrote this in English cause yes we’re American too.”
The shocking comments from Hinchcliffe at the Trump rally where CNN reported Republican candidate Trump and his MAGA surrogates spewed “racist, vulgar attacks at Harris and Democrats” came nine days before Americans go to the polls, and just a few after Trump’s former chief of staff, retired Marine General John Kelly, said the former reality TV star fits into the “general definition of a fascist” and frequently praised Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It also comes as both Harris and Trump are spending precious time and money in the waning hours of the campaign to win over voters in the crucial swing state of Pennsylvania, where nearly 500,000 Puerto Ricans live, representing the third-largest P.R. diaspora in the U.S.
While the quartet of P.R.-born superstars did not explicitly endorse the Harris campaign in their posts, the show of support for the Democrat vying to the the first woman and person of Asian American descent to become President comes as both campaigns have been laser-focused on trying to win over crucial voting blocks including Black and Hispanic men.
With just over a week to go before Election Day, the DNC is kicking into high gear.
On Monday (Oct. 28), the DNC announced a historic “I Will Vote” ad campaign targeting Black voters through ads in 55 Black publications and on 48 Black radio stations across the United States. Grammy-winning Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers Stevie Wonder, John Legend and LeToya Luckett-Coles are set to lend their voices to the campaign, alongside Emmy-winning actress and producer Kerry Washington.
Wonder, Legend, Luckett-Coles and Washington each voice a unique ad focusing on a different element of the upcoming election. Wonder stresses the merit and importance of voting in elections because they “determine our future”; Legend explicitly notes the Democrats’ triumph in capping insulin prices at “$35 a month for seniors”; Luckett-Coles reminds listeners that “several women in states across this country are literally dying because they rolled away our rights to reproductive health care” and Washington encourages voting “if you want to lower the cost of living.”
“This investment showcases Democrats’ unwavering commitment to reaching Black voters where they are and through the platforms they trust – including familiar Black voices that will reach them on the airwaves – to ensure they have the resources they need to cast their ballot in the most important election of our lifetimes,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement. “We know that the Black vote will play a major role in the outcome of this election … In this last sprint to Election Day, the Democratic Party is taking no vote or community for granted, using every opportunity to engage with every facet of our diverse coalition of voters in order to elect Democrats up and down the ballot this November.”
Some of the Black digital and print publications that will feature the new ad campaign include African News Digest, The Baltimore Times, Ebony News Today, The New Orleans Tribune, Pride Magazine, Star of Zion, Word In Black and The Villager.
The “I Will Vote” campaign coincides with the DNC’s HBCU Homecoming Tour in partnership with BET We V.O.T.E., which featured Spelman College and Morehouse College’s Spelhouse Homecoming as its final stop. The tour also visited Winston-Salem University (Sept. 28), Lincoln University (Oct. 12), Virginia State University (Oct. 12), Howard University (Oct. 19) and North Carolina A&T State University (Oct. 19).
All of the artists involved in the “I Will Vote” campaign have lent their support to the Democratic Party in the past. At this year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago (held Aug. 19-22), Wonder performed his 1973 Hot 100 top 10 hit “Higher Ground” (No. 4); a few weeks later, the music legend unveiled a poignant new single titled “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart,” his first new song in four years. That track soon gave way to a short arena tour called Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart.
Legend also performed at the 2024 DNC. The EGOT winner teamed up with Sheila E. for a spirited rendition of “Let’s Go Crazy” in tribute to Prince, who shares a home state with Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz (Minnesota). Though she is not a musician, Washington also lent her star power to the DNC, serving as emcee for the convention’s final night while staging a reunion with Scandal co-star (and fictional president!) Tony Goldwyn.
Luckett-Cole, who boasts a Billboard 200 No. 1 album of her own (2006’s LeToya), is a former member of Destiny’s Child. During her time in the Grammy-winning vocal group, she sang alongside Kelly Rowland, LaTavia Roberson and Beyoncé, whose Kendrick Lamar-assisted “Freedom” has served as Vice President Kamala Harris‘ official campaign song.
Bad Bunny, who supports Kamala Harris, a source close to the artist tells Billboard, is getting the Democratic presidential candidate’s latest message for Puerto Rican voters out to his 45 million followers on Instagram.
“There’s so much at stake in this election for Puerto Rican voters and for Puerto Rico. And this election is not just a choice between Donald Trump and me. It is a choice between two very different visions for our nation,” Harris says in a campaign video posted on Sunday (Oct. 27), which Benito shared clips of on Instagram Stories not just once, but four times. “One, his, focused on the past and on himself, and the other ours, that is focused on the future and on you. Puerto Rico is home to some of the most talented, innovative and ambitious people in our nation, and Puerto Ricans deserve a president who sees and invests in that strength.”
In the video, Harris tells voters: “As president, I will bring down the cost of housing, invest in small businesses and entrepreneurs and fight to finally secure equal access to programs that strengthen the healthcare system and support children, seniors and working people. I will create a new Puerto Rico economy task force where the federal government will work with the private sector, with non-profits and community leaders to foster economic growth and create thousands of new, good-paying jobs in Puerto Rico, including for our young people.”
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“I know that Puerto Rico’s economic future depends on urgently rebuilding and modernizing the island’s energy grid. That’s why I will cut red tape, ensure disaster recovery funds are used quickly and effectively, and work with leaders across the island to ensure all Puerto Ricans have access to reliable, affordable electricity. I will never forget what Donald Trump did and what he did not do when Puerto Rico needed a caring and a competent leader. He abandoned the island, tried to block aid after back-to-back, devastating hurricanes, and offered nothing more than paper towels and insults. Puerto Ricans deserve better,” Harris says.
Bad Bunny emphasized Harris’ “I will never forget what Donald Trump did” line in his reposts of the speech.
Harris’ message to Puerto Rican voters on Sunday arrived the same day Trump was set to appear at a rally at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, where Tony Hinchcliffe, a podcast host/roast comedian, spewed racist jokes in an opening slot. He referred to Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean.” Later, he made a remark that Latinos “love making babies” in a lead up to a crude joke. Vice President Harris’ campaign headquarters called it a “vile racist tirade against Latinos” on X (formerly Twitter).
Benito, who was born and raised in Vega Baja, has a history of being vocal about social-political issues affecting the Puerto Rican community.
In September he placed billboards across San Juan in protest of the Partido Nuevo Progresista (New Progressive Party), a major political party that holds the seat of governor and resident commissioner in Puerto Rico, soon after releasing the song “Una Velita.” The billboards displayed messages including “To vote for PNP is to vote for corruption,” “Who votes for PNP doesn’t love Puerto Rico” and “Voting for PNP is voting for LUMA” (the private energy company responsible for power distribution and transmission on the island). In an Instagram post showing the billboards, the star said, “Announcements paid by Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio. A Puerto Rican who does love Puerto Rico.”
“Una Velita,” released on Sept. 19, has Bad Bunny reflecting on Puerto Rico’s response to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. “There were five thousand that they let die, and we will never forget that,” he chants on the track that addresses what happened in the wake of the Category 5 hurricane that devastated the island.
In 2022, he released a documentary-style video for Un Verano Sin Ti‘s “El Apagón.” With a runtime of almost 23 minutes, the short film takes aim at local government for its inaction in addressing blackouts, gentrification and other issues affecting Puerto Ricans.
Beyoncé is standing beside Kamala Harris leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.
The 32-time Grammy winner took the stage alongside her Destiny’s Child bandmate and childhood friend Kelly Rowland at the Democratic presidential nominee’s rally in their hometown of Houston, Texas, on Friday night (Oct. 25), where they endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket and urged their fellow Texans to do the same.
“H-Town!” Beyoncé said to rapturous cheers when she took the mic. “We are so happy to be standing here on this stage as proud, country, Texas women supporting and celebrating the one and only Vice President Kamala Harris. A woman who’s been pushing for what this country really needs right now: unity. It’s impossible not to feel the energy in this room, the positivity, the community, the humanity. We are at the precipice of an incredible shift. The brink of history.
“I’m not here as a celebrity,” she added. “I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares, deeply, about the world my children and all of our children live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies. A world where we’re not divided. Our past, our present, our future merge to meet us here.”
Bey spoke to “all the men and women in this room, and watching around the country,” telling them: “We need you. Your voice has power and magnitude. Your vote is one of the most valuable tools, and we need you. Your freedom is your god-given right, your human right. Everybody say Texas! Texas plays a pivotal role to change the course of our future.”
The superstar then leaned into her music roots to wrap her speech, saying, “It’s time to sing a new song. A song that began 248 years ago. The old notes of downfall, discord, despair no longer resonate. Our generations of loved ones before us are whispering a prophecy, a quest, a calling, an anthem. Our moment is right now. It’s time for America to sing a new song. Our voices sing a song of unity. They sing a song of dignity and opportunity. Are y’all ready to add your voice to the new American song? Because I am. So let’s do this. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a big, loud Texas welcome to the next president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris.”
In addition to Rowland and Beyoncé, Willie Nelson performed at the Houston rally and Harris ended the night with a speech.
Though Bey hadn’t previously vocalized support for Harris amid the 2024 election cycle, her presence has been strong in the VP’s campaign over the past few months. In August, the superstar was heavily rumored to appear at the Democratic National Convention, but never showed up. Her 2016 track “Freedom” has also been a mainstay in Harris’ campaign, becoming the Democratic nominee’s walkout song in July. CNN confirmed that month that Bey had given direct approval for the song’s use.
She has previously supported other Democratic political causes, including performing with Jay-Z at a Hillary Clinton musical rally in Cleveland in 2016 ahead of that year’s presidential election. In 2020, Bey supported Joe Biden’s campaign and later celebrated his victory on Instagram. Additionally, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer performed at both of Barack Obama’s inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.
Watch Beyonce’s full speech below: