This archive report was first published on 5 August 2019.
On Sunday, August 4, 2019, Rihanna became the latest celebrity to speak out against Donald Trump's response to the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio.
Just hours after John Legend condemned Trump's 'racist' rhetoric on Twitter, Rihanna posted her own anti-Trump tirade on Instagram.
Trump had tweeted condolences to the victims, stating, '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.'
However, Rihanna hit back, pointing out that Trump had misspelled 'terrorism' and failed to address the root causes of the violence.
'Um... Donald, you spelt 'terrorism' wrong!' Rihanna wrote on Instagram. '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!'
Rihanna's comments join a chorus of famous voices condemning Trump's anti-gun control and immigration hardline policy positions in the wake of the deadly massacres.
John Legend, who was raised in Springfield, Ohio, a city 25 miles northeast of Dayton, tweeted, 'The President regularly inspires killers. He is part of the problem. 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.'
