Grammy Award-winner John Legend hammered Donald Trump's 'racist' rhetoric on Twitter once again on Sunday, saying, among other things, that the president is partly to blame for the nation's two latest mass shootings.
The singer condemned Trump's language and policies in the wake of the deadly massacres in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.
'The President regularly inspires killers. He is part of the problem,' Legend tweeted Sunday morning.
'When we condemn the racist venom coming from the President's mouth and point out the bigotry of his policies, it's not an academic question, it's not a political game, it's about life and death.'
Legend was joined in his criticism by Rihanna, who hammered the president on Instagram in response to Trump's Twitter condolence message.
Trump tweeted: Today's shooting in El Paso, Texas, was not only tragic, it was an act of cowardice. I know that I stand with everyone in this Country to condemn today's hateful act. There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people.'
But Rihanna hit back: 'Um... Donald, you spelt "terrorism" wrong! Your country had 2 terrorist attacks back to back, hours apart leaving almost 30 innocent people dead.
'This, just days after yet another terrorist attack in California where a terrorist was able to LEGALLY purchase an assault rifle (AK-47) in Vegas, then drive hours to a food festival in Cali leaving 6 more people dead including a young infant baby boy!'
John Legend, Chrissy Teigen, Luna Stephens John Legend and Chrissy Teigen out and about in New York on May 19, 2019
The LA Times reports a Twitter account shut down on Saturday that appeared to belong to Crusius had praised Trump.
Legend noted that Trump's politics seem to be a common thread among a growing crop of criminals, murderers and mass killers, many of whom have espoused white nationalist views.
The singer also took issue with the apparent easy access to high-capacity firearms supported by Trump and conservative members of the GOP.
'My heart aches for El Paso and Dayton,' Legend wrote in a separate Tweet. 'Our nation is experiencing these traumas far too often and we need our leaders to take urgent action: take these weapons of war off the street and fight the evil ideology of white nationalism that motivates many of these terrorists.'
Legend implored Trump, his surrogate, Kellyanne Conway (pictured) and other leaders to 'fight the evil ideology of white nationalism that motivates many of these terrorists'
Rihanna criticized Trump's Twitter condolences to El Paso and Dayton mass shooting victims in a lengthy Sunday night Instagram post
Add RiRi's comments to a chorus of famous voices, including Avengers: Endgame star Chris Evans and rapper Cardi B, who have publicly condemned Trump for his anti-gun control and immigration hardline policy positions.
Legend was raised in Springfield, Ohio, a city 25 miles northeast of Dayton, where authorities say Connor Betts, 24, used a .223 caliber long gun to fatally shoot at least nine people, including his sister, Megan Betts, and injure another 27.
The Dayton shooting occurred less than 14 hours after a man identified by police as Patrick Crusius, 21, opened fire with an AK-47 inside a Walmart in the Cielo Vista Mall in West El Paso, killing at least 20 people and leaving another 26 injured.
Authorities said Crusius appears to be the author of a racist, anti-Hispanic immigrant manifesto that was uploaded to 8Chan shortly before the shooting.
President Trump (left) was criticized by Legend (right) for rhetoric and policies the singer claims 'inspires killers'
Trump surrogate Kellyanne Conway urged the nation to 'come together' on her own Twitter feed Sunday morning.
'Finger-pointing, name-calling & screaming with your keyboards is easy, yet... It solves not a single problem, saves not a single life,' she said. 'Working as one to understand depraved evil & to eradicate hate is everyone's duty. Unity. Let's do this.'
Legend replied to Conway's tweet, telling her Trump should be the first to take her advice.
'Please tell your boss to do something to fix this problem,' he said. 'Denounce white nationalism in no uncertain terms. Take these weapons of war off the streets.'
Legend's latest comments come on the heels of his remarks criticizing Trump for his statements condemning the city of Baltimore and African-American Congressman Elijah Cummings' predominantly black district as a 'disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess.'
In response to Trump's remarks, Legend told TMZ the president was a 'piece of sh**' before taking to Twitter on Friday to issue a tongue-in-cheek expression of remorse.
'I want to apologize for calling POTUS a POS this week. I was mistaken. At least excrement has a useful biological function,' Legend tweeted.
The president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, condemned white supremacy on Twitter Sunday, describing it as 'an evil that must be destroyed'
White supremacy, like all other forms of terrorism, is an evil that must be destroyed.
20.1K people are talking about this
Trump tweeted his support for El Paso and Dayton residents on Saturday and Sunday, after condemning the El Paso shooting as 'an act of cowardice.'
'I know that I stand with everyone in this Country to condemn today's hateful act,' Trump said. 'There are no reasons or excuses that will ever justify killing innocent people.'
None of Trump's tweets specifically addressed terrorism or white nationalism. His daughter, Ivanka, did address both issues in her own tweet on Sunday.
'White supremacy, like all other forms of terrorism, is an evil that must be destroyed,' she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment