Mia Boykin
“And I’m leaving the United States if [Trump] is elected, Fuck it! I’m moving to Canada. It’s over.” – Amber Rose told the Daily Beast in 2016.
Donald Trump’s infatuation with models is undeniable. In the early 1990s, Donald Trump insisted on using real models rather than actresses for his proposed TV show “Donald Trump Presents the Most Beautiful Women in the World.” At a 1993 White House Correspondents’ dinner, Trump reportedly had an objectifying conversation with model Vendela Kirsebom that was so uncomfortable it caused her to leave the dinner in tears.
I will leave you to imagine what might be going through his head as Amber Rose delivers her speech at the RNC convention.
Amber Rose’s unexpected appearance at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee sparked widespread debate and controversy online and in press circles. The model, entrepreneur, and women’s rights advocate delivered a speech in support of Donald Trump’s presidential candidacy, marking a significant shift from her previous political stance, and igniting social media discussion around the endorsement.
Rose, once a vocal critic of Trump, told the crowd in Milwaukee on July 15 that she now believes Trump is the best choice for improving their children’s futures. This dramatic reversal is puzzling, given Rose’s background in organizing the SlutWalk to protest gender inequality and her previous opposition to Trump’s policies.
The speech has generated intense discussion, with many questioning how Rose, known for her work in the sex industry and as an OnlyFans model, came to support a candidate who has faced accusations of sexual misconduct and plans to implement Project 2025, which would ban pornography and expand executive power. In addition, her support for Trump contradicts her previous beliefs on women’s sexual freedom, and advocacy for sexual assault survivors. In 2022, a civil jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse in a case brought by E. Jean Carroll.
Rose’s journey from threatening to move to Canada if Trump won in 2016 to actively campaigning for him in 2024 represents a stark change in her political views. In a 2016 interview with The Cut, Rose described Trump as an “idiot” and “weird.” She also told the Daily Beast of her plans to vote for Hillary Clinton, expressing excitement about the prospect of the country’s first female president.
Identity Politics Take the Stage
Directly after the speech, MSNBC’s Joy Reid expressed confusion over Rose as the surprise speaker, highlighting the contradictions in Rose’s appearance at the RNC. Reid pointed out that Rose, despite gaining fame through her connections to the Black entertainment industry, has a complex history with racial identification. Rose has previously stated that she doesn’t identify as Black, instead describing herself as biracial. To black voters she said, “Do your own research.”
Reid questioned the Republican party’s choice of Rose as a speaker, suggesting it might be an attempt to appeal to Black voters. She said, “And to say that this is the person who is the endorser of Donald Trump, who you should trust when she won’t even claim the culture that brought her to the table. I’m dubious that this will work.”
In response to Reid’s comments, Rose took to social media, writing, “Hi @JoyAnnReid I’ve never said I wasn’t black I said I identify as biracial. I’m not going to invalid my white father to make you feel more comfortable. Stop being a race-baiter ur president does enough race-baiting for all of us.” This post has since been deleted.
Before the tweet was deleted, Internet users uncovered a 2015 interview where Rose explicitly stated, “I do not consider myself a Black woman. Absolutely not.”
Conversations over racial dynamics have sparked on Black Twitter in the past few months, first starting with Tyla’s denial of her Blackness. However, the Tyla situation is completely different. Tyla is not American, making her perception of racial dynamics different than what the average American considers Black. In South Africa, the racial structures have a completely different history with different classifications.
Rose, on the other hand, is American, born and bred. She is biracial, with her mother being Black and her father white, meaning her self-identification is not wrong. Additionally, Rose’s mother hails from Cape Verde, which means she might identify similarly to Tyla, depending on the racial structures in the nation. but Rose was brought up completely in the United States. Attempting to fit family lines of intermixing into one box of race is complicated, but for Trump, what does Rose bring to the table besides her Blackness?
Rose’s entire career was built off the idea of her Blackness, from her rap career and appearance on BET and Blackish to her relationship with Kanye West. Rose has continuously used Black culture and Black Americans for their money and attention but fails to use her voice to adequately support the community.
And this is not to say that a Black person can’t support Trump, there have always been Black Republicans, and Black people who openly support racist people is not a new concept, if anything, this behavior has developed into a well-known insult – an Uncle Tom. I am not calling Amber Rose an Uncle Tom, but using Black people for their money and attention through the hip-hop sphere, and then turning to a well-known racist to endorse certainly fits some of the qualifications.
But, many still wonder, even if Rose doesn’t think Trump is racist, he is a sexist man, who has been confirmed and alleged of multiple cases of sexual assault. So, why support Trump? The Internet investigated shortly after the controversial appearance.
The Internet Investigates
Rumors have begun circulating on social media suggesting that Rose’s sudden support for Trump might be motivated by a desire to avoid a federal investigation into crypto scams. It’s crucial to emphasize that these are unverified rumors. However, it has been confirmed that Rose has been involved in promoting cryptocurrency projects that have faced scrutiny. On June 26, she took to Twitter to clarify that she has since become more knowledgeable on crypto.
While Rose has not been formally charged with any wrongdoing related to crypto promotions, her involvement in these projects has raised questions about her financial activities and motivations.
Despite the controversy surrounding her political shift and past involvement in questionable crypto projects, Rose remains steadfast in her support for the Republican party. She recently appeared in a pro-Trump rap video titled “Trump Trump Baby,” featuring Florida rapper Forgiato Blow and sampling Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby.”
Amber Rose Won’t Help Trump
But, was this a good choice for Trump? Well, no.
Right-wingers have come online to denounce her and her previous and current career activities, especially regarding her Only Fans page. Though this may not sway voters from not voting for Trump, those who hold more conservative values have taken to X to complain about this choice and how contradictory it is to Trump and his entire policies. Matt Walsh, a popular Conservative commentator, said “Conservatism as a movement is in even worse shape than I thought. “
And when it comes to Trump securing the Black vote with Amber Rose, that dream can also be thrown out. Not many Black voters over the age of 30 will even recognize Amber Rose, and those that do, will be thoroughly confused as to her position in the political space. If Trump is using Rose to sway Black voters to his campaign, it probably won’t work.
And if Trump wasn’t trying to sway Black voters, and simply chose Rose for her political beliefs, it wasn’t a good choice either. As a former vocal liberal, Amber Rose works as an example of someone who has escaped the mainstream media’s brainwashing of anti-Trump rhetoric.
She confirmed it herself, saying “I’m no politician and I don’t wanna be, but I do care about the truth, and the truth is that the media has lied to us about Donald Trump,” Rose said. “I know this because, for a long time, I believed those lies. … I believed the left-wing propaganda that Donald Trump was a racist,” at the RNC.
However, this reasoning doesn’t add any weight to her position in Trump’s campaign. She doesn’t work as an average voter, because she is a celebrity. And she doesn’t work as a Black voter, because, she doesn’t identify as Black. Her endorsement brings nothing to the table for her or Trump, and she offers little guidance to the voter on why one should vote for Trump’s policies, not him as a person. If anything, her speech only pushes voters to do their research, not trusting either party or mainstream media to make their decision for them.
And maybe this is where Joy Reid and Amber Rose can agree. If you are a Black voter, do your own research. No matter what party you align with, Black voters cannot trust that their candidate will provide more resources for the Black community just from words of their mouth. This election is a rematch, meaning we have years of data on how each candidate’s policies affected Black people and our communities. Read them, digest them, and make an informed vote, but don’t be swayed by Amber Rose. Remind me, what experience does she have in politics?
