Lady Gaga has branded Donald Trump a “racist fool” in a statement addressing the death of George Floyd and the protests that are currently sweeping America.
A video of the unarmed 46-year-old Black man’s arrest on Monday showed him gasping for breath while a white police officer knelt on his neck before he died.
Derek Chauvin, the police officer in question, has now been charged with murder following days of protests across the US, pitting protesters against police in a number of major cities.
In a lengthy statement shared on Sunday morning, Lady Gaga called for change as she hit out at systematic racism and the US president for “fueling racist activity”.
“I have a lot of things to say about this,” she begins. “But the first thing I want to say is I’m afraid to say anything that will incite further anger, although that is precisely the emotion that’s justified.
“I do not wish to contribute to more violence, I wish to contribute to a solution.
“I am as outraged by the death of George Floyd as I have been by the deaths of exponentially too many black lives over hundreds of years that have been taken from us in this country as a result of systematic racism and the corrupt systems that support it.”
The singer continued: “The voices of the black community have been silenced for too long and that silence has proven deadly time and time again. And no matter what they do to protest, they are still met with no compassion by the leaders that are meant to protect them.
“Everyday people in America are racist, that’s a fact.
“Right now is a critical time for the black community to be supported by all other communities so we can put a stop to something that is intrinsically wrong by the grace of God or whatever creator you do or do not believe in.
“We have known for a long time that President Trump has failed. He holds the most powerful office in the world, yet offers nothing but ignorance and prejudice while black lives continue to be taken.
“We have known he is a fool, and a racist, since he took office. He is fuelling a system that is already rooted in racism, and racist activity, and we can all see what is happening.
“It’s time for a change. I urge people to speak gently to each other, speak with passion, inspiration, and impress the importance of this issue until the systems that keep us sick die, instead of people we love.”
She concluded: “We MUST show our love for the black community. As a white, privileged woman, I take an oath to stand by that.
“We haven’t, as a privileged community, done enough to fight racism and stand up for those people who are being killed by it. This isn’t justice. This is an epic tragedy that defines our country and has for a long time.
“I am sad. I am angry. And I will use the words that I can find to communicate what needs to change in as an effective and non-violent way as possible for me.”
The Born This Way singer’s words come just a day after fellow artist Taylor Swift also spoke out against Trump, accusing him of of “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism”.
The singer quoted a tweet from the president that he said was addressed at the “thugs” who are “dishonouring the memory of George Floyd” with the protests.
Trump added: “Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Twitter placed a message alongside his tweet, warning that it breached the site’s rules for glorifying violence.
Trump has claimed that he has been unfairly treated by the social media platform, and accused it of targeting him and his supporters.