John Legend calls out rappers for supporting Donald Trump
The EGOT winner performed at Joe Biden’s final campaign rally in Philadelphia last night.
On Monday night (Nov. 2) in Philadelphia, the Biden campaign held its final political rally, which called on celebrity performers like John Legend, Common and Lady Gaga. During his performance, Legend addressed the crowd and explained why he supports Biden’s presidential bid.
During his speech, the singer stressed that it’s up to Americans to choose between a “president [who] actively encourages police brutality and cannot bring himself to condemn white supremacists or neo-Nazis” or one who “hold[s] our police accountable and begin[s] to root out the systemic racism in our society.”
Legend also acknowledged Walter Wallace Jr., a Black man who was fatally shot by Philadelphia police officers last week.
“A man with mental health needs,” Legend said of Wallace. “Who, just like so many other Americans, wasn’t able to get the care he needed.”
Legend also slammed rappers who have endorsed Trump’s reelection efforts. 50 Cent, Lil Pump, Lil Wayne and others recently landed themselves in hot water with fans for supporting the president.
“Some people see the meanness, the bullying [and] the selfishness of Donald Trump and they mistake it for strength; a kind of twisted masculinity,” he said. “Some see his greed and they mistake it for being good at business. Some of your former favorite rappers have been taken in by these lies. I think they even founded a new supergroup; it’s called the Sunken Place.”
The Grammy Award-winner further criticized Trump’s proposed Platinum Plan as “nothing but fool’s gold.”
“You can’t bank on a word he says,” Legend continued. “Ask the students of Trump University. Ask all of the contractors he stiffed. Ask people his charity was supposed to help before it was shut down for being a fraud. Ask all the Black and Brown Americans who are dying from this virus and losing their jobs under his watch.”
In endorsing the Biden-Harris ticket, Legend said he hopes the former vice president and California senator can “reverse the damage of the last four years” and “build back a better economy and country than ever before.”
Watch Legend’s full speech at Biden’s campaign rally in Philadelphia below.