Diddy Is Under Fire for Urging Fans to “Hold The Black Vote Hostage”
Diddy is facing some backlash following his recent video chat with Naomi Campbell, in which he urged black voters to withhold their votes if their interests don't align with presidential candidate Joe Biden's agenda.
The hip-hop mogul made an appearance on a recent episode of Naomi Campbell’s web series No Filter with Naomi. During the interview, he told the supermodel that the presumptive Democratic nominee had not yet earned his vote or that of the black community. "The black vote is not going to be for free," he stated.
“Nothing has changed for Black America. In order for us to vote for Biden, we can’t be taken for granted like we always are because we’re supposed to be Democrats or because people are afraid of Trump,” Diddy explained. “It’s business at this point. You know, we can’t trust politicians.”
During the conversation, Diddy declared that he would be holding the "black vote hostage" until Joe Biden adopts a Black Agenda that will directly address issues plaguing the black community.
Several people are pushing back against Diddy's stance. Notably, Jamie Foxx responded to Diddy's post on Instagram and encouraged people to vote for values rather than the person. “There is no way that anyone can live up to what we think should be a candidate because we want perfection [...] the other side won because they wanted legislation,” he wrote.
Diddy's friend and President of Brand Development for Combs Enterprises, Kenny Burns, criticized him in a comment. "Puff this statement is very Irresponsible at this Point. The only option is to get Trump out of office. Come on Champ!!! Encouraging People to Stand by is not an option. #VoteOrDie." Apparently this dissent didn't sit well with Diddy, as Burns revealed he was promptly blocked.
Watch Diddy's full interview with Naomi Campbell below.