In an impassioned speech Friday night at a rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cardi B admitted she planned to sit this election out — until Kamala Harris became the Democratic nominee.
“She Changed My Mind Completely” the “Bodak Yellow” star said. “I did not have faith in any candidate until she joined the race and said the things that I wanted to hear, that I want to see next in this country.”
Watch the full speech below:
Cardi B fans of course know that she’s something of a wonk and a history nerd. See also her 2023 appearance on “Hot Ones” when she dropped science about Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt and the New Deal. And in her speech, she laid out the case for Harris with a combination of policy details and emotional appeal.
“She’s passionate, she’s compassionate, she shows empathy, and most of all, she’s not delusional. No, yeah, yeah. Kamala recognized that this country is at risk, that the economy needs to get stronger, that the cost of food and the cost of living is too high,” she said.
“I believe her when she stays under her finances, and milk won’t break the bank because she’s going to pass a ban on price gouging on groceries. And she told me that in my face, so she better not have lied to me in my face, yeah?” she joked.
“I believe her when she says she will make housing more affordable by providing Americans with $25,000 in down payment assistance,” she continued while hyping up the crowd. “She’s promising a lot, and I believe her when she says she will provide a tax cut to 100 million middle class Americans. That’s a lot of Americans, and that includes $6,000 for parents in the first year of child’s life. Y’all remember when they used to do that? Y’all remember when this country used to do that?”
Then she turned to conversation to Trump, reminding the crowd of his recent threat to “protect” women “whether they want it or not.”
“Protection for women, especially we’re talking about maternal and mental health care, isn’t telling them what to do with their bodies, it’s supporting them and giving them the care they need for what they choose to do with their bodies,” Cardi said.
“People like Donald Trump don’t believe women deserve rights, and when those rights are taken away, they are nowhere to be found,” she continued. “When a mother is going through postpartum, he’s not there to hold her hand. When a child is in foster care or in a shelter, because their mother is not mentally stable or financially stable to take care of them, they’re not there… Those people outside Planned Parenthood screaming at women’s faces, they don’t be there. When women go through stuff, they don’t.”
“If his definition of ‘protection’ is not the freedom of choice, if his definition of ‘protection’ is making sure our daughters have fewer rights than our mothers, then I don’t want it. I don’t want it,” she said, then singing, added, “I don’t want it. I don’t want it.”
“We all knew Trump was a hustler, but hustling women– and I’m a hustler too, yeah — but hustling women out of their rights to their body is nasty work,” she said. At that, Cardi laid into Trump’s various grifts hard.
“Hustling Americans out of their hard earned money by selling Trump watches, Trump sneakers and Trump Bible, by the way, the watches is $100,000 yeah, yeah, made in China, another country he discredited, is nasty too. Let me ask you a question… Do we really trust this man with our economy? Our economy, a man who cares only about making himself rich and cutting taxes for his billionaire friends,” she continued.
“Today is your wallet. Tomorrow, he’ll be conning you out of your health care rights, and that’s a fact. I want you to hear that again today. He’s hustling you,” she added, noting Trump’s recent sneaker line. “Donald Trump talks about how he has a concept of a plan, but America, the only concept of a plan he has is a plan to hustle you. Yeah, because we know what he’s really setting, setting us for. He’s sending more than watches and sneakers. He’s telling us bigotry, misogyny, division, health and confusion. He want us to hate each other.”
As she reached the conclusion of her speech, the rapper said, “I’m with Kamala. I believe in her and America. I believe in you to turn out on Tuesday, turn out and turn up on Tuesday, turn the page, and let’s win this thing.”
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