Taylor Swift criticised US President Donald Trump in a tweet on Friday after he implied that protesters in Minnesota should be shot following the violence and unrest in the country. The tweet has become her most-liked ever, with over two million likes.
“After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November,” Swift tweeted.
After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence? ‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 29, 2020
Her tweet was in response to Trump’s, which said, “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, however, has put a public interest notice on Trump’s tweet as it “violated the Twitter rules about glorifying violence”. The tweet remains accessible for “public interest”, the social media giant has added in the notice.
Protests continue in the US after the killing of African-American George Floyd due to police brutality.
Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in Minnesota state when a police officer kneeled on his neck after pinning him to the ground. Video footage showed Floyd pleading with the officer, identified as Derek Chauvin, to let him go as he couldn’t breathe, but Chauvin kept his knee in place for over five minutes. Floyd, who shortly lost consciousness, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
His death has sparked an outrage in the US and the world over, as the debate on racism and discrimination heats up after a string of deaths of African Americans in the US.
