Radio host Charlamagne tha God shot back at President Donald Trump on Monday after he was attacked by the president on social media.
Charlamagne, whose real name is Lenard McKelvey, criticized Trump’s second term on the Fox News show “My View with Lara Trump” on Saturday. He told the president’s daughter-in-law that he would not give his second presidency a “good rating” thus far, pointing to how “the least of are still being impacted the worst.”
“When you look at something like ‘the big, beautiful bill,’ that’s something that I’m going to benefit from because the tax bracket that I’m in, but you know, there’s going to be so many people that’s hurt by that bill,” Charlamagne said, in reference to the GOP’s budget megabill signed into law last month.
“Anything that takes away Medicaid from people and will put people in a worse financial situation than they were previously in, I’m not for,” he added.
During the interview, Charlamagne also said that “traditional conservatives” are engaging in a “political coup” against the MAGA movement, citing the Jeffrey Epstein controversy that has found its way into the national spotlight after the Justice Department announced it would not release additional documents related to the sex-trafficking investigation.
“I think that they know this is the issue that has gotten the base riled up, the MAGA base isn’t letting this issue go and for the first time, they can probably take their party back and not piss off the MAGA base,” he said.
Charlamagne’s comments appeared to get under Trump’s skin, prompting a lengthy post on his Truth Social platform during the early hours of Sunday.
“The very wonderful and talented Lara Trump, whose show is a big ratings success, put racist sleazebag Charlamagne ‘The God’ (Why is he allowed to use the word ‘GOD’ when describing himself? Can anyone imagine the uproar there would be if I used that nickname?),” Trump wrote.
“He’s a Low IQ individual, has no idea what words are coming out of his mouth, and knows nothing about me or what I have done – like just ending 5 Wars, including a 31 year bloodbath between Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, where Seven Million people have died, and there was no end in sight,” he continued.
Charlamagne fired back early Monday on the newest “The Breakfast Club” episode, labeling Trump as the “Donkey of the Day.”
“My fellow Americans, we are in a strange time right now. A time we have never seen because authoritarian strategy is being used against anyone who speaks out against this administration. But that alone, with his reaction to what I said on Lara Trump, shows how authoritarians will attempt to bully people into pushing false narratives,” the radio host said.
“President Trump, do you realize the best way to get the headlines you want is to simply do a good job, is to simply do right by all Americans,” he added.
Charlamagne said he didn’t take the president’s “insults” to heart, including his “sleazebag” remark, joking “Depending on who you ask, that may apply to me,” and calling it “absolutely true” that he is unaware of what he is saying.
“He said I don’t know anything about him ending five wars. Mr. President, nobody knew that, because it’s not true, alright,” Charlamagne said.
“There is zero evidence, there’s nothing credible whatsoever, that says President Trump played any role in ending the ongoing — key word, ongoing — conflict in the eastern DRC and Rwanda,” he continued.
Charlamagne also went on to say that U.S. strikes in June did not “eliminate” Iran’s nuclear facilities, citing media reports, and noted that the southern border is not “closed,” but the president has “tightened” its immigration policies.
“By the way, I want border security. I just want you to keep your promise of deporting illegals and criminals, but since Homeland Security started to work to deport more people, OK, immigrants with legal status and no criminal history are being detained and deported too. That’s not right,” Charlamagne said.
Charlamagne also joked that Trump had called him “racist” — but “I didn’t mention race, not one time on Lara Trump.”
“I was just talking to your base, letting your base know that you haven’t kept the promises that you made in regards to the economy,” he said. “In fact, you’ve made things worse.”
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