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Shazam star Zachary Levi endorsed Donald Trump at an event supporting his presidential campaign, drawing sharp criticism from many people on social media.
Last Saturday(September 28), Shazam star Zachary Levi threw his weight behind Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. The actor was moderating a talk with former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard at an event supporting Trump held in Dearborn, Michigan. Before the interview began, he said: “We’re here to make sure that we are going to take back this country. We are going to make it great again. We are going to make it healthy again. And so, I stand with Bobby, and I stand with Tulsi, and I stand with everyone else who is standing with President Trump.”
“In a perfect world, in whatever that would look like, perhaps I would have voted for Bobby,” Levi continued. “But we don’t live in a perfect world. In fact, we live in a very broken one. We live in a country that has been hijacked by a lot of people who want to take this place way off the cliff, and we’re here to stop that.” Toward the end of the conversation with RFK Jr. and Gabbard who are part of the “Team Trump” campaign team, the 44-year-old actor admitted that his public endorsement of the former president could damage his career, but he was raised to “have a healthy distrust of the government” and that Trump represents what he wants to support. “Within my industry, as you can probably imagine, Hollywood is a very, very liberal town and this very well could constitute career suicide, so I’m glad I did it with you guys,” he said to the crowd.
Levi, who gained fame in the Chuck television series and joined the DC Universe as Shazam with two films in 2019 and 2023. It is undetermined if he’ll return to the role with new DC Studios heads James Gunn and Peter Safran in charge. He’s been open about his political views, declaring that he was a “libertarian” in a post on X, formerly Twitter in 2020. He’s also garnered criticism for those views, particularly concerning the COVID-19 vaccines last year. The responses to Levi’s endorsement on social media ranged from disappointment to dismissal, with many likening him to another controversial actor, Gina Carano.
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MarÍa Becerra announced a break from social media on July 30 amid the European run of her world tour. Despite positioning herself at the forefront of Latin pop over the past year — including scoring her first two No. 1s on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 and selling out River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in record time — the 24-year-old simultaneously needed a hiatus from the scrutiny that she, and many of her peers, face online every day.
“I understand that social media is necessary for our careers,” she says. “But the limit is reached when they start taking away my joy.”
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Why did you decide to take a social media break?
It was doing me wrong to read so much hate — I was really affected by comments that only had the intention to harm [me]. The attack on women’s bodies who are part of the [music] scene is constant: If I’m too skinny, if I’ve had a boob job, if I train too much, how I do my makeup, how I dress… We struggle internally trying to please everyone without losing our own identity. Do you know how draining that is? Then, I said, “Enough. I’m tired, this hurts.” Instead of enjoying a tour that I dreamed so much about, I was suffering because of someone who writes from behind a screen.
What advice would you give to artists who feel similarly?
I’m currently in the process of learning to take care of myself. Going to therapy is beneficial for me; it helps me to think about what my limits are, what I want to share about my private life and what I want to keep for myself. I am a public figure, and those who listen to my music expect to know about me and see me beyond the shows. With my team, we seek a balance so that this ecosystem functions.
How could the entertainment industry better support artists?
I don’t know if [the problem] is the music industry. Everything I said before about what’s expected of female artists affects our self-esteem and puts an overexertion [on us] that ultimately generates a very large emotional imbalance. But the social media phenomenon has produced something where everyone needs to give their opinions. People express whatever they want, whenever they want, and while I greatly respect freedom of speech, this has turned into both a personal and social compulsion.
What can be done to create more open discussions on this topic in the industry?
The problem is not about talking; it’s what we do about it. How do we raise awareness of what is going on? What tools do people have to ask for help? I have the privilege of being able to pay for a psychologist, a health plan. But what about young people who are victims of cyberbullying and have no one to turn to? Who helps them? Talking about this in the media with responsibility could be a start, but I don’t have the formula. I’m just now learning to take care of myself and protect myself, and all of that is a long process.
This story appears in the Sept. 28, 2024, issue of Billboard.
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An independent journalist, Ken Klippenstein, was suspended from X, formerly Twitter, for publishing a dossier on JD Vance on the platform.
On Thursday (Sept. 26), an independent journalist was suspended from X, formerly Twitter, having his account locked. The reason given by the platform’s safety account for the suspension was “for violating our rules on posting unredacted private personal information, specifically Sen. [J.D.] Vance’s physical address and the majority of his social security number.” The journalist Ken Klippenstein published a PDF, which is an opposition research file on Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate earlier in the day.
Klippenstein, who formerly wrote for The Intercept, disclosed why he published the Vance dossier in his Substack newsletter. “If the document had been hacked by some ‘anonymous’ like hacker group, the news media would be all over it,” he wrote, referring to other news outlets being reluctant to publish the document despite having had access to it since June. “I’m just not a believer of the news media as an arm of the government, doing its work combating foreign influence. Nor should it be a gatekeeper of what the public should know.”
The suspension also extends to the social media platform flagging the link and automatically blocking anyone who attempts to post it. The decision comes after the platform updated policies on “hacked materials” in the wake of stories concerning Hunter Biden’s laptop appearing on X in 2020. Those stories would be published, but links within them blocked as a result.
The 271-page document does contain unredacted personal information about Vance. At least three major news outlets and other independent journalists had received the dossier but didn’t publish it, later citing a lack of anything newsworthy to be found in it. Their decisions drew criticism from others who cited the media frenzy when emails from Hilary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign were leaked and then published wildly a short time before the election.
The Trump campaign has alleged that the document leak was the result of their servers being hacked by the Iranian government, occurring in the same period in June as confirmed by three U.S. intelligence agencies. Iran’s vice president for strategic affairs denied the claims to NBC News, saying that “the government and official agencies of Iran have not hacked anybody. People working for us haven’t, either.”
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Donald Trump’s claims that the COVID-19 pandemic began with “dust” blown over to the country “from China” has left many on social media again questioning his intelligence.
Former President Donald Trump is receiving new blowback due to his comments concerning the rise of COVID-19 in the United States. He sat down for a one-on-one interview with Sheryl Attkisson of the “Full Measure” show on Sunday (September 22) at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. The conversation turned to the pandemic, and Attkisson asked Trump how he felt he handled the situation. “In terms of overall, I think I did an amazing job with COVID,” Trump insisted. “I never got the credit for it. Remember that more people died under Biden-Harris than died under Trump.”
“I never got great credit on the fighting of the China virus, which is COVID, but we call it the China virus because we like to be accurate,” the former president continued. “But if you think of what I’ve done, I took a disaster that came into our shores, that dust flew in from China, and we started making things like the ventilators.” He added that he would “not be given credit” for the “fantastic job” done, remarking to the Heritage Foundation-sponsored host, “Nobody knew what it was. Nobody knew where it came from.” The claim was part of an almost 20-minute interview, where he also declared that if he loses in the November presidential election, he won’t run again in 2028.
The interview is not the first time that Trump has uttered the false claim. He made it as part of a rambling sentence, saying We had that damn dust coming in from China, the China virus…” during his campaign rally held in Wildwood, New Jersey back in May. But his insistence on repeating it brought him ridicule from those who got wind of the statement, with many bemoaning his lack of intelligence.
Check out the reactions to Trump’s “dust claim” below.
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Montel Williams blasted a MAGA supporter for purposely confusing him with Diddy online, and social media joined in on the attack on the influencer.
Television host Montel Williams called out a MAGA fan’s racist attempt to smear Vice President Kamala Harris on social media by deliberately confusing him with Sean “Diddy” Combs. The situation occurred on Tuesday (September 17) when self-described “ultra-MAGA’ influencer Josh Dunlap shared a video of Williams with Harris (whom he was dating at the time) and his daughter at a Multiple Sclerosis charity event in 1999 in a post on X, formerly Twitter claiming that Williams was the mogul. The former Marine swiftly called out Dunlap in a post quoting the original one, writing: “Here they go again with ‘all black people look alike…’
The post was heinous, as it occurred after a press conference was held by the Office of the Southern District of New York concerning Combs’ arrest after he was indicted on multiple charges of racketeering and sex trafficking late Monday night (September 16). The X platform’s community notes feature would be deployed, spelling out the details of the false claim. Dunlap would later delete the post after Williams’ reposting. The former national talk show host is currently the host of the Lifetime Network series Military Makeover: Operation Career, which shows military members being helped with the transition back to civilian life after completing their service.
Other individuals on X joined in with Williams in calling out Dunlap’s racism. One account on X, formerly Twitter by the name of BadTrumpQuips mocked Dunlap and other right-wing supporters of Republican nominee Donald Trump, writing: “We’re not racist but we can’t tell black people apart – MAGA”. Other users went another route, calling Dunlap out for a previous arrest record of violence. Others shared photos of Diddy with Trump in the past. A couple of users opted to make a joke out of the situation, saying Williams reminded them of the hit singer Montell Jordan.
Check out more of the reactions below.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams caught the wrath of numerous people online after a clumsy statement defending NYPD officers shooting wildly at a subway farebeater.
On Sunday (September 15), New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement in a post on X, formerly Twitter, after an incident where New York Police Department officers shot at an alleged farebeater at a subway station in Brooklyn. “Earlier today, one of our officers was shot while protecting our subway system. I am relieved to report he is in good condition now, and we have arrested the suspect who put so many lives in danger. I cannot thank these officers enough for their bravery,” Adams wrote. The post immediately received a correction through the platform’s Community Notes for omitting that it was NYPD officers who fired their guns, hitting a fellow officer as well as two civilians.
Earlier today, one of our officers was shot while protecting our subway system. I am relieved to report he is in good condition now, and we have arrested the suspect who put so many lives in danger. I cannot thank these officers enough for their bravery. pic.twitter.com/nSLDTyZwkj
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) September 16, 2024
The incident took place at the Sutter Avenue L train station in Brownsville, Brooklyn as two officers observed Derell Mickles enter the station without paying the fare at 3 P.M. They followed Mickles up three flights of stairs to the platform, where they confronted him. At a press conference, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey stated that the officers on the scene yelled at him to stop, at one point following him onto a waiting train and then off. “The suspect challenged the officers, saying, ‘No, you’re going to have to shoot me,’” Maddrey told the press, adding that they deployed Tasers which were “ineffective”.
The officers then opened fire as Mickles reportedly charged at them, hitting him in the stomach but also hitting bystanders on the platform. “Everyone who was struck this afternoon, we believe, was hit by our officers,” Maddrey said, saying that the Force Investigation Division and the Detective Squad will conduct further investigations.
Adams’ statement omitting the NYPD officers’ culpability angered many who saw the statement on X, blasting him for another sign of ineptitude. Others noted that the situation came a day after his attorney Lisa Zornberg resigned in a surprise move, and four days after NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban resigned amid a federal corruption probe that has targeted several other members of Adams’ administration.
There may be no severe disciplinary action for the NYPD officers in the Brownsville subway shooting, as Caban reportedly signed off on internal disciplinary reductions before stepping down.
Check out more reactions to Adams’ statement below.
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Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and pundit Laura Loomer are engaged in a nasty online spat, with social media users looking on in glee.
The fallout from former President Donald Trump’s disastrous debate against Vice President Kamala Harris took a turn as Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene got into a fierce spat with far-right figure Laura Loomer online. Greene had commented on an overly racist post by Loomer on X, formerly Twitter that she made over the weekend about Vice President Harris’ South Asian heritage. “This is appalling and extremely racist. It does not represent who we are as Republicans or MAGA,” she wrote. “This does not represent President Trump. This type of behavior should not be tolerated ever.”
Loomer fired off a series of posts on X attacking Greene shortly afterward. “It’s really funny how @mtgreenee (a raging antisemite who said Jews use space lasers to control the world) wants to pretend like I’m a “racist” because I made a funny joke about Kamala Harris making cooking videos and buying curry spice at an anti-Trump spice shop and I mocked how she uses her Indian mom as a way to dodge questions,” she wrote in a post, claiming Greene was “jealous” of her.
Loomer would continue to disparage Greene viciously, mocking her divorce and using Arby’s fast food to refer to one of her body parts. She also would insinuate that Greene was sleeping with former House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Loomer would then call for Greene to be removed from office by a “Republican or Democrat”, saying she would give free information on her. Greene responded, “Laura and I used to be friends going back to 2018. I used to defend her and support her.” On Thursday (September 12), Greene publicly denounced Loomer again at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
The spark to the feud came from an Axios report which detailed Loomer being present on Trump’s private plane as he flew to Philadelphia for the debate, where she was “egging him on” to attack Harris using grievances instead of sticking to debate strategy. Loomer (a rabid 9/11 conspiracy theorist) also joined Trump at the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in New York City. Social media users who saw the exchange have been reveling in the two hateful personalities going at each other.
Check out some of the responses to the feud below.
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Donald Trump’s appearance at an economic forum in New York City was filled with rambling remarks, leading social media to swiftly call him out as “stupid.”
On Thursday (September 5), Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appeared at the Economic Club of New York where he was expected to make a major policy announcement. But his remarks, which at times were rambling and hard to follow, earned him ridicule from social media users who saw clips from the speech. MomsFirst US founder Reshma Saujani highlighted one moment in particular, shared in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “Today I asked @realDonaldTrump what he would do to solve the child care crisis. His response? Incomprehensible at best; at worst, outrageously offensive to the millions of families drowning in costs,” she wrote.
“Well, I would do that and we’re sitting down, you know,” Trump began, “I was, somebody, we had Marco Rubio and my daughter, Ivanka… But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about that because the child care is, child care couldn’t, you know, there’s something you have to have it in this country, you have to have it…” He would then propose placing tariffs on foreign nations such as China. “We’re going to be taking in trillions of dollars, and as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it’s, relatively speaking, not very expensive, compared to the kind of numbers we’ll be taking in,” before concluding, “! want to stay with child care. So we’ll take care of it. Thank you.”
The rambling answer was emblematic of Trump’s appearance, which also included slight jabs at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the current Democratic presidential nominee. Trump also spoke about a plan to have Elon Musk head up an oversight commission rooting out government waste. But his lackluster showing drew the ire of many on social media. One user on X noted, “He is used to rallies. He can’t speak to anyone not cheering him on.” The footage inspired a trending hashtag on the platform – #TrumpIsSoStupid.
Check out more of the responses to the speech below.
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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s terse response to a high school shooting was thoroughly rebuked by many on social media.
On Wednesday (September 4), four people were shot and killed at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia which is an hour’s drive east of Atlanta. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s comments in the wake of the shooting weren’t well received, and social media users made it a point to remind him of his culpability in the situation. Kemp spoke at a press conference held at the scene on Wednesday night, stating: “Today is not the day for politics and policy, today is a day for investigation,” and said that the victims and their families are in his prayers.
The Republican governor also touched on his ties to the area in his remarks to the press, reflecting on representing Barrow County as a Georgia State Senator over 20 years ago. Kemp was previously scheduled to speak before the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas, Nevada but canceled the trip. He then gave way to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey, who provided details about the victims – 14-year-olds, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo, and instructors Richard Aspinwall and Christina Irimie – to the press. The 14-year-old suspect, a student at the school named Colt Gray, was apprehended by school resource officers on campus. Investigators said that he used an assault-style rifle in the shooting, and will be charged as an adult for murder.
Kemp’s remarks received substantial outrage and pushback on social media. Many pointed out his signing of a bill in 2022 expanding gun rights in the state allowing residents to carry handguns in public without a background check or a license. He also vigorously defended his stance in 2021 when told of Georgia’s failing grade from the Giffords Law Center on gun control. “I’ll wear this ‘F’ as a badge of honor,” he said at the time. Journalist Mehdi Hasan was among those pointing out Kemp’s political ad where he talked with teenagers while holding a rifle in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Kemp has also been a firm ally of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Check out more of the social media responses to Kemp’s remarks below.
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A moment where Vice President Kamala Harris was seen wearing earbuds before a flight upset a Fox News host but left social media users perplexed.
As the presidential race between Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican nominee Donald Trump continues, the right-wing media outlet Fox News has been fixated on minute things about Vice President Harris including her use of earbuds. This came in the form of a segment, introduced by its host John Roberts. “Presidential nominee Kamala Harris,” he began. “She did break her media silence last week in a sit-down interview alongside running mate Tim Walz, but now she appears to be using a new method to dodge press questions…A pair of earbuds.”
A video of Vice President Harris exiting an SUV and walking towards Air Force 2 is shown, and she is seen waving to people off-camera with earbuds in her ears as she ascends the stairs to the airplane. Roberts comes back and asks, “So, was she really on a call, or was that just a feint?” The network and other media outlets have been consistently stating that the vice president hasn’t been forthcoming with doing interviews with the press, showing their frustration through several opinion editorial articles since she was officially declared the nominee two weeks ago. Harris would sit down with her vice presidential running mate Walz in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash last week.
Those who got wind of the Fox News segment expressed their confusion at how the network saw an issue with Vice President Harris using earbuds. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, user John Challen recalled another moment that the network was obsessed with something trivial with another Black presidential figure: “Is that her ‘tan suit’ moment on Fox?! These people are so odd.” Another by the name of Brenna wrote, “When there’s actually zero scandals…this is what they’re reduced to.” Meanwhile, supporters of Trump were busy reposting the clips in an attempt to nail her for seeming to backtrack on her position of not using wired earbuds in 2021.
Check out more reactions to the segment below.
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7. Carlos Turnbull