Kendrick Lamar is an outspoken critic Donald Trump. And that’s an understatement. So why is he performing for the President on Monday?
Blame a scheduling oversight or last-minute change in itinerary. But on Monday, January 8th, Donald Trump will be attending the College Football Playf National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Lamar is slated to perform the halftime festivities.
Trump is scheduled to attend the game with agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue, vice presidential aide Nick Ayers, and first lady Melania Trump. On the field, Alabama and Georgia will be pitted against one another, though Trump is guaranteed to commandeer the spotlight.
Trump’s appearance was confirmed by the Atlanta Police Dept. this week. The game ficially starts at 8 pm EST (here’s the complete game-day guide).
Given the massive security required to protect a US president, it’s highly unlikely that Trump will exit his box suite during halftime. All which means that Kendrick Lamar will be playing for the president, first lady, and top White House aides.
In comments this week, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders called the football rivals “two great teams from two great states, both in the heart Trump country”. She declined to discuss potential conflicts involving the national anthem or a performance by Lamar.
As for Lamar, it’s difficult to imagine that the rapper agreed to the performance involving Trump.
All which raises the possibility that Lamar will pull out at the last moment in protest.
So far, the rapper has yet to comment on the issue. But the ramifications for musicians and entertainers associating with Trump can be severe. At the tail end 2016, Chrisette Michele agreed to play a Trump Inauguration event, with severe ramifications for her career.
+ 9 Months After Playing Trump’s Inauguration, Chrisette Michele’s Career Is on Life Support
Similarly, Steve Harvey met with Donald Trump at the foot Trump Tower after the 2016 election. The entertainer suffered catastrophic ratings drops following the decision.
Granted, those were meetings confirmed and arranged by both performers. But it’s unclear if Lamar’s audience will discern the difference, especially after the performance is broadcast on national television without the proper backstory.
More as this develops.