John Legend brands Trump a 'f****** embarrassment' as president holds chaotic press conference post midterms

Clémence Michallon
Updated

John Legend spoke out against Donald Trump as the president held a chaotic press conference the day after the midterms.

The EGOT winner posted on Twitter while Trump’s conference was still being broadcast on live television, writing: “The president is a f****** embarrassment.”

While speaking to the press on Wednesday, Trump sparred with CNN‘s Jim Acosta, criticised the Republican politicians who lost after turning their backs away from him and accused a black reporter of asking a “racist question” about white nationalism.

The president also publicly asked Mike Pence to be his running mate in 2020 and insisted on painting the results of Tuesday night’s election, which saw the GOP lose control over the House of Representatives while retaining a Senate majority, as a victory for his party.

Model and cookbook author Chrissy Teigen, who is married to Legend, has vocally opposed Trump and his policies. Legend, who sees himself as more “laid-back and reserved” than his spouse, told CNBC last month that Teigen’s sass has started to rub off on him.

Back in April, Kanye West posted screenshots of a text conversation between himself and John Legend, in which the singer urged West to think twice before supporting Trump.

“I hope you’ll reconsider aligning yourself with Trump,” Legend wrote. “You’re way too powerful and influential to endorse who he is and what he stands for.

"As you know, what you say really means something to your fans. They are loyal to you and respect your opinion.

"So many people who love you feel so betrayed right now because they know the harm that Trump’s policies cause, especially to people of colour.

"Don’t let this be part of your legacy. You're the greatest artist of our generation.”

Legend told the Wall Street Journal he worried West’s discourse “might empower some of the wrong forces”.

“I understand what Kanye sees in Trump,” he added, “and I think it’s a reaction to his personality and his marketing panache and don’t-give-a-f***ness.

"But my point to him was that when you wear that hat, when you appear to be endorsing him, you’re endorsing his policies as well, all of his rhetoric and not just the parts you like.

"I think we had to talk about it, because we didn’t want people to be deceived into following his line of thought without considering the full ramifications.”