Lady Gaga calls President Trump a 'fool, and a racist' in statement decrying George Floyd's death
Taylor Swift isn’t the only pop star taking President Donald Trump to task. A day after Swift broke her formerly apolitical stance to accuse Trump of “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism” during his presidency, Lady Gaga posted a lengthy statement calling POTUS a “fool, and a racist.”
Gaga was moved to speak following the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed Monday after a Minneapolis police officer continued to press his knee into his neck despite his pleas. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has since been arrested on a third-degree murder charge, though his fellow arresting officers have only been fired. The police brutality case has ushered in a wave of outrage, with protests taking part across the country.
On Saturday night, Gaga became the latest celebrity to reflect on the case and the issue of racism.
“I have a lot of things to say about this, but the first thing I want to say is I'm afraid to say anything that will incite further anger, although that is precisely the emotion that’s justified,” the Oscar winner wrote. “I do not wish to contribute to more violence, I wish to contribute to a solution. I am as outraged by the death of George Floyd as I have been by the deaths of exponentially too many black lives over hundreds of years that have been taken from us in this country as a result of systemic racism and the corrupt systems that support it.
“The voices of the black community have been silenced for too long and that silence has proven deadly time and time again. And no matter what they do to protest, they are still met with no compassion by the leaders that are meant to protect them. Every day people in America are racist, that’s a fact.
“Right now is a critical time for the black community to be supported by all other communities so we can put a stop to something that is intrinsically wrong by the grace of God or whatever creator you do or do not believe in.”
She then turned to the current administration, echoing Swift’s tweet accusing the president of enabling racism.
“We have known for a long time that President Trump has failed,” she continued. “He holds the most powerful office in the world, yet offers nothing but ignorance and prejudice while black lives continue to be taken. We have known he is a fool, and a racist, since he took office. He is fueling a system that is already rooted in racism, and racist activity, and we can all see what is happening.
“It’s time for a change,” she added. “I urge people to speak gently to each other, speak with passion, inspiration and impress the importance of this issue until the systems that keep us sick die, instead of people we love.
“We MUST show our love for the black community. As a white, privileged woman, I take an oath to stand by that. We haven’t, as a privileged community, done enough to fight racism and stand up for those people who are being killed by it.
“This isn’t justice. This is an epic tragedy that defines our country and has for a long time. I am sad. I am angry. And I will use the words that I can find to try to communicate what needs to change in as an effective and non-violent way as possible for me.”
The post has so far drawn more than half a million “likes” and many supportive comments, as well as criticism from some followers for singling out Trump. The “Poker Face” singer has long been a vocal critic of the president, famously protesting outside Trump Towers the night of his election victory over Hillary Clinton.
Like Gaga, teen pop star Billie Eilish addressed white privilege in her own statement calling for justice for George Floyd. The “Bad Guy” singer also called out those responding to the protests with “All Lives Matter.”
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