17 celebrities who have faced backlash for their responses to George Floyd’s death and Black Lives Matter protests
By Libby Torres and Claudia Willen
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- Many fans look to their favorite celebrities to raise awareness about issues, donate money, and set an example for the general public.
- Several famous figures have faced criticism for their lackluster, and, in some cases, inappropriate, responses to George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests.
- Insider rounded up the celebrities who have stirred up controversy by issuing tone-deaf comments and partaking in strange behavior.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Celebrities have some of the most far-reaching platforms on social media. So when George Floyd died at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, people hoped that famous figures would use their resources to raise awareness about the Black Lives Matter movement, donate money, and set an example for others.
And while some celebrities, like Ariana Grande, Halsey, and Kendrick Sampson, have attended the Black Lives Matter protests across the country and leveraged their platforms to address racial inequality in America, others have not.
David Guetta, for example, remixed a version of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in a “tone-deaf” tribute to Floyd. And Madonna contributed a video of her son dancing to Michael Jackson’s song “They Don’t Really Care About Us” to “honor” Floyd and his family.
Insider listed 17 celebrities who have been criticized for their words and behavior in the midst of the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.
Lil Wayne said that disgruntled people should blame themselves for injustices.
The rapper faced backlash after saying that people should blame themselves for police brutality rather than police or other races.
“I think we also have to understand that we have to get very specific. We have to get so specific. What I mean by that — we have to stop viewing it with such a broad view, meaning we have to stop placing the blame on the whole force and everybody of a certain race, everybody with a badge,” he said during an Instagram Live with Fat Joe on May 28.
Wayne continued, “We have to actually get into who that person is, and if we want to place the blame on anybody, it should be ourselves for not doing more than what we think we’re doing.”
The “Lollipop” rapper stated that while some people “think they did something” by tweeting or wearing a shirt about the Black Lives Matter movement, it’s more important to “learn about it more.”
“What we need to do is learn about it more. If we want to scream about something, know what we screaming about. We want to protest something, know what we protesting about,” he said, adding, “There’s a bunch of facts that we think we know that we don’t know.”
While some people supported Wayne’s desire to learn more about the issues, many criticized him for insinuating that black people were at fault for police brutality instead of looking more deeply at systemic racism.
Virgil Abloh’s Wikipedia page was edited to call him “Cheap A–” and “Mr. $50” after the designer donated $50 to bail funds.
Abloh was ridiculed for making a $50 donation to bail funds in Miami, Florida, on May 31.
“i’m crazy inspired. for kids in the streets that need bail funds for George Floyd protests,” he wrote on the receipt on his Instagram story, disclosing the donation amount.
After viewing his contribution, people pointed out that $50 doesn’t cover the cost of one pair of socks made by Abloh’s brand Off-White. One person noted that some of the socks cost $100 and tweeted, “He spent a half a sock on protestors.”
The first lines of his Wikipedia page were changed to include “Mr. 50$” and “Cheap A–.” Someone also edited the “Personal Life” section of his page. They wrote, “He donated a whooping amount of 50$ to urge on protesters who protested the unlawful killing of George Floyd.”
Abloh responded to the backlash with a statement on Instagram addressing the criticism about his donation.
He wrote, “I can understand your frustration if you think my contributions were limited to $50. Purely false when it comes to the total. I have donated $20,500 to bail funds and other causes related to this movement.”
Abloh also faced backlash for criticizing looting, for which he also apologized, saying, “I apologize that it seemed like my concern for those stores outweighed my concern for our right to protest injustice and express our anger and rage in this moment.”
David Guetta’s tribute to George Floyd left people “speechless.”
After Guetta released a tribute to George Floyd using a remixed version of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech on May 30, viewers were left confused and shocked.
Guetta performed the mash-up atop a Manhattan rooftop during a livestream concert for coronavirus relief.
“The world is going through difficult times and America too, actually. Last night, I knew we were going to do this and I made a special record in honor of George Floyd. I really hope we can see more unity and more peace when already things are so difficult,” he said, adding, “Shout out to his family.”
The song then picked up volume, and samples of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech played.
In response, people called the video “the whitest way to react to racism” and mocked the DJ for trying to “oontz oontz racism away.” Others were at a loss for words, saying they were left “speechless.”
Marina Diamandis drew criticism for saying people had to be “mentally ill” to be police officers.
The singer, who goes by the mononym Marina, upset many of her followers after saying that people had to be “mentally ill” to be a police offer in a tweet she shared on May 31.
People quickly took issue with Diamandis’ message, stating that she was trying to link two topics that aren’t related.
“I understand what you’re trying to say but please don’t conflate mental health issues with police brutality. There is no link and this is tone deaf,” one person wrote.
Others pointed out that people with mental health issues are often subject to discrimination and asked her not to villainize them.
Madonna shared a video of her son dancing to a Michael Jackson song to “honor” Floyd.
Madonna was mocked after posting a video of her son dancing to “honor” Floyd on May 28.
“Brutal murder travels around the world my son David Dances to honor and pay tribute to George and His Family and all Acts of Racism and Discrimination that happen on a daily basis in America. #davidbanda #JusticeforGeorgeFloyd #MichaelJackson,” she tweeted.
In the video, David Banda Mwale Ciccone Ritchie, who Madonna adopted from Malawi in 2006, dances to Michael Jackson’s song “They Don’t Really Care About Us.”
Comparing the video to Kendall Jenner’s 2017 Pepsi commercial, in which the white supermodel resolves a protest by handing a police officer a can of soda, many people said that the pop star’s response wasn’t appropriate.
“I really appreciate you for allowing your son to dance away the racism for us,” one person wrote in response to the video.
Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevigne, and more celebrities incited anger for tagging their friends in Black Lives Matter chains on Instagram.
Celebrities such as Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevigne, and Kylie Jenner reposted a Black Lives Matter chain on their Instagram stories following Floyd’s death.
With each repost, they each tagged 10 of their friends who “will not break the black lives matter chain.”
Although they were attempting to spread awareness about the Black Lives Matter movement and have shared other educational content to their social media accounts, people called them out for “playing a game” and being “self-serving.”
“unemployed college students are literally on a donating spree while celebrities are wiping the sweat off their forehead after just posting ‘BLM’ on their IG story,” one person tweeted.
Karol G apologized after sharing a photo of her dog to promote the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Colombian singer faced backlash after tweeting a photo of her black-and-white dog to make a point about racial inequality.
She wrote in a since-deleted tweet, “El ejemplo perfecto de que el Blanco y el Negro JUNTOS se ven hermosos,” which translates to, “The perfect example of white and black together they look beautiful.” She added the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
After receiving criticism for using an animal to promote racial equality, the singer issued an apology on Twitter.
“I was wrong and I apologize. I want to make clear that my intentions were right in the photo I posted earlier. I meant to say that racism is terrible and I cannot begin to understand it,” she wrote.
Karol G added, “I am still learning and taking active steps to help, aid and evoke change and I continue educating myself to understand the experience.”
Fans called out Doja Cat for ignoring current events after she asked followers to Photoshop a fish and dog together.
“Can one of you guys photoshop together a dog and a fish to create a fish-dog hybrid for me because I need this don’t ask me why. I’d appreciate it a lot thanks,” the “Say So” singer tweeted on May 27.
Fans quickly criticized Doja Cat for ignoring current events, specifically the protests occurring across the nation as a result of George Floyd’s death.
“Hi racist, post about #BlackLivesMatters,” one user commented, while another said, “Ain’t mentioned George Floyd once but asking for a imaginary hybrid animal.” One tweet just asked, “How about you speak out on what’s happening right now instead?”
The singer eventually asked fans to send over a “petition” (ostensibly one meant to combat police brutality) in response to the backlash.
A few days earlier, Doja came under fire after users discovered her “racist past,” accusing her of using racial slurs and making fun of black speech patterns. She subsequently denied the allegations.
Shameik Moore was criticized for saying black people “need to learn how to deal with police.”
“Look… all I’m saying is.. in the MOMENT.. when we are experiencing racism.. can We the black community find ways to avoid being killed? Or hunted,” Moore tweeted on May 28.
The actor shared a “very strong opinion” with his followers in a subsequent tweet, writing, “See I have a very strong opinion that the black community hates to hear.. but needs to hear… we need to learn how to deal with police… and or racism… because THIS is the part of the scenario we have failed to fix.”
Unsurprisingly, people on Twitter didn’t appreciate Moore’s tone-deaf comments about the situation, telling him,“bro. read the room. your hot take is unnecessary rn” and “We aren’t going out there on a mission to be killed.”
Moore later apologized for his comments on during an Instagram livestream, saying his comments “were taken out of context.”
“Again, I’ll just say for the people watching: I did not mean to offend any of the Black community,” he told viewers. “It was wrong timing.”
Lana Del Rey was slammed for posting looting footage on social media.
After the “Young and Beautiful” singer shared videos of Los Angeles protesters looting stores to her Instagram (and disabled comments on the clips), Kehlani and Tinashe both called out Del Rey for her “dangerous” posts, according to Page Six.
“Please remove your instagram post it’s dangerous as f— and a very poor choice of moments to post,” Kehlani reportedly tweeted. “By all means protest, but DO NOT endanger people with your very massive platform. oh and turn your f—ing comments on man.”
“Why the f— are you posting people looting stores on your page literally WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM,” Tinashe reportedly said in her tweet.
Del Rey apparently deleted one of the two videos, and both Kehlani and Tinashe appear to have deleted their tweets calling her out. Tinashe even thanked the “National Anthem” singer on Twitter for removing one of the posts.
Earlier in the month, fans also called out Del Rey for “tearing down” female artists (most of whom are not white) in an attempt to defend herself against critics. The singer subsequently denied the accusations.
Fans called out LL Cool J for a tweet about biracial families.
The rapper’s tweet (“Imagine how people raising bi racial children feel right now!!!!!! This is crazy!!!!!!”) didn’t go over well with some of his Twitter followers, who accused him of minimizing the problem of violence against black people.
“What does this have to do with George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery or Breonna Taylor? They’re not biracial,” one user responded, while another simply told the rapper, “Delete this.”
And others focused on the fact that LL Cool J’s daughter Samaria is reportedly in a relationship with actor Shameik Moore, who himself was called out for tone-deaf comments about the black community.
“Sir your daughters boyfriend was on live saying Rosa Parks should’ve taken a cab. Go worry about that,” a user said.
T.I. got called out for comparing Atlanta, Georgia to the fictional kingdom of Wakanda.
The rapper appeared on television, along with Killer Mike and Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, to condemn the violence and looting occurring in the city.
“We can’t do this here, this is Wakanda. It must be protected,” T.I. told press and viewers.
But almost immediately, the rapper was lambasted on Twitter, mostly for comparing a real-life city to a fictional utopia. People also took issue with the fact that T.I. is seemingly supporting elected officials and police, instead of black protesters on the front lines.
Ellen DeGeneres deleted a tweet about racial injustice after being called hypocritical and vague.
Screenshots of the tweet, which was apparently posted on May 30, appear to show DeGeneres advocating for racial equality and denouncing “injustice” after protests broke out in response to the death of George Floyd.
“Like so many of you, I am angry and I am sad,” DeGeneres wrote, according to screenshots. “People of color in this country have faced injustice for far too long. For things to change, things must change.”
“We must commit ourselves to this change with conviction and love,” the message read.
Even though DeGeneres’ message seemed like it was meant to inspire unity, it actually had the opposite effect. Some people called out the host for her friendship with former president George W. Bush, who’s been called a “war criminal” by some due to his military actions while president.
Others took issue with the fact that DeGeneres broadly referred to the injustices faced by “people of color” in the US, even though the current movement is primarily focused on violence experienced by the black community.
Stephanie Pratt was called out for tweeting “Shoot the looters” during protests in Santa Monica.
After tweeting that she was getting emotional while watching people “burn down” Santa Monica, Pratt took things a step further and called for the so-called “looters” to be shot.
“Shoot the looters – using this tragedy as their excuse to rob and burn all of our towns down,” she wrote in the since-deleted tweet.
Immediately after Pratt tweeted the controversial statement, Twitter users criticized the actress for her “racist” and tone-deaf language. The majority of users focused on Pratt’s hypocrisy since she was arrested on charges of second-degree theft after shoplifting $1,300 worth of clothing from a Neiman Marcus in Hawaii in 2006.
Pratt seemingly tried to clarify her comments in a subsequent tweet (that’s also been deleted) on June 1, telling followers, “There’s some confusion between the words looter & protester on the news.”
“The protesters are trying to make changes & end decades long police violence which we ALL WANT,” she continued in the now-deleted tweet seen by Insider. “Looters, however are a–holes.”
Melissa Joan Hart posted a photo from 1935 that many people described as “racist.”
The actress swiftly deleted an Instagram photo she posted of Shirley Temple and Bill Robinson after people described the image as “racist.”
Hart shared a still from the 1935 film “The Little Colonel,” showing the stars holding hands and smiling.
“The post of Mr. Rogers by Danica McKellar reminded me of one of my favorite Shirley Temple movies, The Little Colonel because of the history of the stair dance she did with the incredible Billy ‘Bojangles’ Robinson,” she wrote.
Hart continued, “When studying the life of Shirley, I learned that it was the first time an interracial couple danced on screen together. Bojangles wasn’t allowed to hold her hand but Shirley grabbed his anyhow during the dance and it made history.”
Her followers pointed out that the film took place on a plantation and contained multiple examples of racial insensitivity. Hart responded to several of the comments to defend her decision to share the photo, however she ultimately deleted it and replaced the post with a Bible verse.
Emma Watson was accused of being a “performative” activist by appearing to edit her Blackout Tuesday squares to match her grid aesthetic.
Like many other celebrities, Watson participated in Blackout Tuesday and posted three black squares in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
However, fans took issue with the fact that she appeared to add a white border to them to match her previous posts, which were white squares. Watson also didn’t link to any additional resources or appear to donate money, leading people to label her posts as “performative” and criticize her for not further leveraging her platform.
Others stood up for her, noting that she’s a United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador and has spoken up about racial inequality in the past.
Hours later, the “Harry Potter” actress wrote that she “was holding off posting until #blackouttuesday ended in the UK” and shared a poem called “White Lies, Subtleties, Micro-Aggressions, and Other Choking Hazards” along with art by Dr. Fahamu Pecou.
Evan Peters apologized after fans called him out for retweeting a video of a police officer tackling a protester.
The “American Horror Story” actor issued an apology after people criticized him for retweeting a video of a physical altercation between a police officer and a protester.
The tweet said, “I can watch these piece of s— looters get tackled all day!!”
Seeing Evans retweet the violent video led many of his followers to call him “racist” and express their disappointment.
In response, the actor apologized and said he “unknowingly retweeted” the video.
“I don’t condone the guy watching the news at all in the video which I have deleted. I unknowingly retweeted it. I’m deeply upset it got on my newsfeed. I sincerely apologize if anyone was offended. I support black lives matter wholeheartedly,” he said.
Florida Cop Won’t Face Charges for Allegedly Groping Teen in His Custody, Reviewing Her Nudes
The 17-year-old said the officer looked at a topless photo on her phone “like 30 times” and was so distracted that he hit a deer while driving her to juvie.
By Rodlyn-mae Banting | September 13, 2022 | 6:30pm
Screenshot:10 Tampa Bay
A police officer in Florida was fired after allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl he was transporting to a juvenile assessment center. However, despite allegations of inappropriate conversation, groping the teen’s butt and breasts, and scrolling through her naked photos, according to the Tampa Bay Times, the former officer won’t face criminal charges.
Bobby Lubrido of the New Port Richey Police Department was reportedly fired from his job on August 12 after an internal investigation obtained by the Times found that the 43-year-old police corporal’s actions “were in violation of numerous departmental rules, regulations and departmental procedures.”
Kim Bogart, the Police Chief of New Port Richey PD, initially called the allegations “unfathomable,” since Lubrido had “an unblemished career,” according to WTSP. Following the investigation, Bogart called Lubrido’s actions “improper and unbecoming,” but maintained that despite a “preponderance of evidence,” he didn’t have “probable cause” to criminally charge him.
In July, Lubrido was tasked with transporting the girl, who had been deemed a runaway, from a hospital to a juvenile assessment center. But after reaching the detention center, Lubrido told the girl that they needed to go back to the hospital for medical signatures, which prolonged her time in his custody.
During the drive back, Lubrido allegedly unlocked the girl’s phone and started scrolling through her camera roll to watch videos of her twerking. The girl then told investigators that he logged into her Snapchat, which he admitted was an attempt to “really [try] to see what [her] titties look like.” The girl said that Lubrido looked at the naked photos “like 30 times” and was so distracted that he hit a deer while driving.
Once they reached the hospital, the officer reportedly uncuffed the girl, let her out of the car, and offered her half of his sandwich—which she ate, before he said it “wasn’t free.” This is when Lubrido allegedly handcuffed the girl (while groping her butt), put her back in the car, lifted her shirt and bra, and groped her breasts. The girl also told investigators that Lubrido asked if she’d have a threesome with him and her mother and that he’d stop by her house to “check up on her.” Lubrido has denied the teen’s allegations.
The investigation summary, which corroborated the incident with vehicle footage, stated that Lubrido “admitted to breaking protocol when he did not properly transport” the girl but “did not believe he did anything immoral or illegal.”
The detective also wrote in the report that the girl “told me the entire incident made her fearful and untrusting of police”—which would certainly be understandable.
Jezebel reached out to Bogart for further comment and will update if we receive a response.
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Hilary Duff’s Husband Has Entered the Ashley Tisdale ‘Toxic’ Mom Group Chat
Matthew Koma posted an Instagram with the mock headline, “When You’re The Most Self Obsessed Tone Deaf Person On Earth, Other Moms Tend To Shift Focus To Their Actual Toddlers.” Messy!
By Lauren Tousignant | January 7, 2026 | 10:40am
Photos: Getty ImagesCelebritiesDirt BagDirt Bag
Just when I was worried the Ashley Tisdale toxic mom group drama was going to die down much too quickly, Hilary Duff‘s husband, Matthew Koma, posted at the 11th hour to ensure the mess continues for at least one more news cycle. But if we’re lucky, maybe Tisdale’s husband will post something or, even better, Meghan Trainor and her husband, Daryl Sabara, will. This is the kind of low-stakes, behind-the-curtain celebrity drama that gets me up in the morning.
On January 1, The Cut published a personal essay from Tisdale, headlined, “Breaking Up With My Toxic Mom Group,” which was originally posted to her Substack in December as an advice-style blog. It has since caused quite the stir.
Koma posted an Instagram story late Tuesday, mocking Tisdale’s essay by photoshopping himself onto her photo for The Cut. He replaced their headline with, “When You’re The Most Self Obsessed Tone Deaf Person On Earth, Other Moms Tend To Shift Focus To Their Actual Toddlers.” He also added the subhead, “A Mom Group Tell All Through A Father’s Eyes,” and captioned it, “read my interview with @thecut.” Messy!
Hilary Duff’s husband Matthew Koma pokes fun at Ashley Tisdale’s article about toxic mom groups:
“When You’re The Most Self Obsessed Tone Deaf Person On Earth, Other Moms Tend To Shift Focus To Their Actual Toddlers.” pic.twitter.com/zFlNdoYMRV
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) January 7, 2026
“So that’s exactly what I texted to the group after being left out from yet another group hang: ‘This is too high school for me and I don’t want to take part in it anymore,’” Tisdale writes in her essay. She concludes this specific paragraph with, “To be clear, I have never considered the moms to be bad people. (Maybe one.) But I do think our group dynamic stopped being healthy and positive — for me, anyway.”
Naturally, everyone now wants to know who the “bad” person is. The group includes Duff, Trainor, and Mandy Moore—but Tisdale’s reps told TMZ on Monday that the piece is not about any of those women, adding that it has nothing to do with a rumor that Tisdale is MAGA (she’s a registered Democrat).
However, the internet quickly noted that while Tisdale still follows Trainor on Instagram, she does not follow Moore or Duff, nor do they follow her. Even messier, Duff’s sister, Haylie Duff, liked Tisdale’s Instagram post about her essay. The sisters are rumored to be estranged and haven’t been photographed together since 2019—Hilary kind of addressed it in December in an interview with Rolling Stone about her new music, saying she and her fans have been through so many similar things, like “trying to find yourself in adulthood [or] family drama.”
In 2024, Deux Moi claimed that the sisters fell out over Koma, and that he didn’t get along with Haylie or her fiancé. While family fallouts are a bummer, Haylie is reportedly a Republican while Hilary is a Democrat—so if Koma is on the side of abortion rights, gay rights, trans rights, and immigrants’ rights in this scenario, well, I think that’s the only side to be on, personally.
And while none of the moms from this “toxic” mom group have weighed in (yet!!!), another former Disney star threw her two cents in. “It’s very simple, it’s not supposed to be dramatic, but I get it,” Kim Possible herself, Christy Carlson Romano, said in a video addressing mom groups, delivering what felt like a very polite but unmistakable drag of Tisdale. “Sometimes it gets a little crazy, and then you write an article about it.”
Are you a celebrity in a toxic mom group?! Email tips@jezebel and we’ll let you write an essay about it.
- Good god, the celebrities’ kids (like Ben Affleck‘s son) are sports betting now. [Page Six]
- Is Travis Kelce retired or not? [People]
- Sophie Turner is reprising her role as Lara Croft. [Daily Mail]
- Chris Redd says he sold pills to his castmates on Saturday Night Live. [The Hollywood Reporter]
- Cher told Dax Shepherd that Kristen Bell deserves better. [People]
- Amy Poehler thought Gwyneth Paltrow was Nicole Kidman for a hot second. [Entertainment Weekly]
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Chris Redd addresses rumors about drugs at SNL, relationship with Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife
By Drew Gillis | January 7, 2026 | 9:57am
Stating that he wants to enter the new year with vulnerability and openness, former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Redd took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a tearful video addressing various rumors about his time at the show. Namely: his rumored relationship with Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife, Christina Evangeline, and drug use at the office.
“I know a lot of people talk about me dating Kenan Thompson’s ex-wife, and how that came to be. And I’m gonna just tell it to you straight,” says Redd. “Bottom line is I’m not the type of person to scheme on a person, I’m not the type of person to even date somebody that one of my homies had dated. This is a very unique, nuanced thing that happened. We were all cool… it was never nothing crazy until it got crazy.”
“Bottom line is, while I was at the show, I had some pill issues,” Redd says elsewhere in the video. “I was even selling some to some of my castmates. I’m not going to snitch on y’all. But it was really fun in [the media] I would be on this shit, and people would talk shit about me and I would hear them, but wouldn’t help me. I would have panic attacks, wouldn’t be concerned about me. It was crazy how someone would watch you destroy yourself. This lady was the only one to call me on my shit, help me on my shit. She helped me on my therapy journey, and she told me things about her life that made me look at a lot of people involved differently, and in that time, we fell in love.”
Redd calls the situation “an emotional double-edge sword” and expresses his love for Thompson. The comedian also suggests that the relationship at least contributed to him leaving the show: “I did choose love.”
“I don’t feel cool about this at all, besides the fact that I found someone who makes me feel like I didn’t even know what love was for real, and I just felt like I couldn’t miss out on it,” Redd says. “Me and him talked about it and we were cool and we continued to work for a year after we talked about it,” he continues, saying things were mostly stable before “the world found out.” “And by the time the world found out, I was outta there, SNL.”
Redd also addresses the time he was punched in the face in downtown New York in 2022. “Most people who know me from back home would know that I would be retaliating in a heartbeat, but not this time, bro,” he says. “This time it felt like, fair, fair enough.” Thompson and Evangeline separated and filed for divorce in the first half of 2022, according to TMZ; Redd’s final episode of the show was in May 2022.
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“Fraud” Is the Magic Word Trump Is Using to Strip Impoverished Americans of Social Services
In response to Minnesota’s very real fraud cases, the Trump admin is withholding billions in funding from other blue states while offering no evidence of fraud elsewhere.
By Jim Vorel | January 6, 2026 | 12:54pm
Photo via Unsplash, Jon TysonSplinterTrump Administration Fraud
Before the presidencies of Donald Trump, and the unprecedented political polarization that followed, in which a new level of stubborn tribalism made the changing of American opinions on any subject a complete impossibility, it was widely assumed that a President could not afford to be seen as openly vengeful against his perceived enemies. The thought was that the endless swells of impressionable, free-thinking and good-hearted Americans in “the middle” wouldn’t stand for such a shallow display of petty partisanship. The concept of a President choosing to punish specific states that didn’t vote for him, while rewarding the ones that did, would have been unthinkable political suicide. But when you manage to entirely breed empathy out of the American soul, isolate them in a digital hellscape, and convince the majority of people that all that matters is their tribe exerting dominance over the other, literally anything becomes acceptable with the barest of justification. And when it comes to taking away critical social services and lifesaving funding from millions upon millions of Americans who desperately need it, all Trump or his lackeys apparently need to say at this point is the word “fraud,” in order to get half the country to immediately fall in line.
Today, The New York Times reported that the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services would be freezing “$10 billion in funding for child care subsidies, social services and cash support for low-income families,” concentrated entirely in blue states: New York, California, Illinois, Colorado, and notably, Minnesota. This missing funding will include $7 billion for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which funnels cash to low-income households with young children, and $2.4 billion for the Child Care Development Fund, which helps working families afford the high costs of childcare. There will also be an additional $870 million frozen for grants that “mostly benefit children at risk.” This is in addition to the administration freezing $185 million in annual aid to Minnesota day care centers statewide last week, in response to more of the fraud allegations that have embroiled the state government in controversy since indictments and prosecution related to pandemic-era abuses of social programs were first unveiled in 2022–a scandal that right-wing provocateurs have recently revived to use as a cudgel against Minnesota’s Somali population, and prop up Trump’s overall anti-immigration agenda.
Not present in the Trump administration’s rationale for freezing funding to the likes of California, New York, Illinois and Colorado? That would be any specific evidence or accusations of fraud of any kind. They have quite literally just stated that because widespread fraud was uncovered (and then prosecuted by the Biden DOJ) in Minnesota, that it must also be happening in any other large, populous state that did not vote for Donald Trump in 2020 or 2024. This is the entirety of the bar that must be cleared, in order to withhold $10 billion in funding for the poorest Americans, in Trump admin 2.0–someone said the word “fraud,” so therefore all social programs are effectively nuked. The implication, of course, is not only that the federal government had no burden to prove that fraud is happening via indictments or convictions before punishing the citizens of an entire state, but also that fraud is only possible in blue states. After all, actually enforcing the law against fraudsters in a battleground state and shutting off federal social services dollars there might cost Donald Trump voters who matter in our broken electoral system, and we can’t have that. Our President and his officials continue to treat Americans like they’re painfully stupid, people who have been rendered incapable of detecting hypocrisy or responding negatively to pettiness.
“Democrat-led states and governors have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch,” said Andrew Nixon, a mouthpiece for the Department of Health and Human Services tasked with explaining why millions of low-income Americans would go hungry without the government needing to provide any evidence of wrongdoing. “Under the Trump administration, we are ensuring that federal taxpayer dollars are being used for legitimate purposes.”
