Kanye's ex, Amber Rose says Trump, supporters are 'all love' in RNC speech
Model and former reality TV star Amber Rose delivered a speech on the first night of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, telling the crowd that included Donald Trump and his running mate J.D. Vance that she once believed the former president was a racist.
In her brief speech Monday night, Rose said she didn't always support the presumptive Republican nominee, and blamed the media and the left for what she called "lies" about Donald Trump, namely that he "was a racist." She recalled talking to her father, a Trump supporter and credited him with "opening" her eyes.
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"I realized Donald Trump and his supporters don't care if you're Black, white, gay or straight," she said, previously referencing her own biracial family. "It's all love. And that's when it hit me — these are my people, this is where I belong."
The celebrity, known in part for her former relationship with Kanye West, was introduced as "Amber Rose from South Philadelphia," following remarks by other Trump supporters. She had announced she would appear at the convention in a post on X, formerly Twitter, last week. Her appearance signals the Trump campaign is eager to reach out to younger and more diverse voters.
Rose has become a vocal fan of Trump and has used her social media presence to express support for the GOP candidate. It's a far cry from her public statements and activity in 2016, which included calling Trump a “f***ing idiot” in an interview with The Cut, saying, “He’s so weird. I really hope he’s not president.”
In her speech Monday, Rose also referenced her motherhood and said that a vote for Trump was the only way to provide a better life for her children. The Biden campaign pushed back on this claim in a statement to USA TODAY.
"Rose said American families were better off when Trump was president – and if she’s talking about his billionaire donors, she’s right," spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said. "But for Black communities, it’s the opposite story: Black unemployment, Black uninsured rates, and crime rates skyrocketed under Trump’s leadership, because the truth is simple – Donald Trump doesn’t care about us, our lives, or our livelihoods.
In a video released earlier this year, Rose dons the distinctive red hat with the “Make America Great Again” slogan, “MAGA," in a show of her support.
Rose recently posted a photo on Instagram posing with Trump and Melania and captioned it “Trump 2024,” as previously reported by USA TODAY, triggering a backlash on social media.
Kathryn Palmer is an elections fellow for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @KathrynPlmr.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Kanye's ex Amber Rose supports Donald Trump in RNC speech