Taylor Swift Slams Trump For Stoking Racism, Threatening Violence: “We Will Vote You Out”

Riots have been raging throughout Minneapolis and across America demanding the arrest of the police officer who killed an unarmed black man named George Floyd by kneeling on his neck. President Donald Trump condemned the rioters this morning with a threat of retaliatory violence: “These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”

Twitter ruled that Trump’s tweet violated its policies by glorifying violence, and many other voices are speaking out against the president’s statement today. That list includes Taylor Swift, the formerly apolitical pop star who in recent years has come out in support of Democratic candidates and policies and strongly critiqued Trump. In one interview she promised to “do everything I can for 2020,” a sentiment she doubled down on in a tweet of her own this morning responding to Trump’s rhetoric.

“After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?” Swift wrote. “‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November.”

Although Swift cancelled all 2020 performances due to coronavirus, she has remained in the news as usual during the pandemic. In the past two months she has paid the salary and benefits of employees at Nashville record store Grimey’s, continued her public battle with Scooter Braun, performed on the Together At Home charity special, and produced a re-recorded version of “Look What You Made Me Do” under a pseudonym for Killing Eve.