TLDR:
- Cardi B appeared at Kamala Harris rally in Milwaukee on November 1, 2024
- Teleprompter malfunction caused Cardi B to stumble during speech
- Elon Musk criticized Cardi B on X, calling her a “puppet”
- Cardi B responded defending her authenticity and immigrant background
- Other celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Beyoncé have also endorsed Harris
A public disagreement erupted between rapper Cardi B and Tesla CEO Elon Musk following the artist’s appearance at Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign rally in Milwaukee on November 1, 2024.
During her speech at the Wisconsin State Fair Park Exposition Center, Cardi B experienced technical difficulties when the teleprompter malfunctioned. The rapper acknowledged her nervousness to the crowd, saying “I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life. My whole life!” She requested patience from attendees as she worked to continue her presentation.
The technical issue led to Elon Musk posting criticism on his social media platform X, where he shared a video of Cardi B struggling with her speech. “Another puppet who can’t even talk without being fed the words,” Musk wrote, adding “The Kamala campaign has no authenticity or true empathy.”
Cardi B responded directly to Musk’s comments with a personal defense of her background and authenticity. “I’m not a puppet Elon.. I’m a daughter of two immigrant parents that had to work their ass off to provide for me!” she wrote on X. The 32-year-old artist detailed her experience growing up with government assistance, mentioning her family’s use of welfare and Section 8 housing.
In her response, Cardi B challenged Musk’s understanding of economic hardship, stating “You don’t know not one thing about the American struggle.” She also requested that he “fix my algorithm,” apparently referencing concerns about her visibility on the X platform.
Before the technical difficulties, Cardi B had delivered remarks about women’s rights and shared experiences with Vice President Harris. “Just like Kamala Harris, I too have been the underdog, I’ve been underestimated, my success belittled and discredited,” she told the crowd. She emphasized the additional challenges women face in achieving success.
The event was part of Harris’s presidential campaign, as she prepares to face Republican candidate Donald Trump in the November 5 election. Recent polling from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace indicates that Harris may receive fewer votes from the Indian American community compared to President Joe Biden’s performance in 2020.
The Milwaukee rally is part of a broader pattern of celebrity involvement in Harris’s campaign. Jennifer Lopez appeared at a Harris rally in Las Vegas, where she showed support for Puerto Ricans following controversial comments made at a Trump rally. Beyoncé also spoke at a Harris campaign event in Houston on October 25, encouraging voter participation.
After the teleprompter malfunction, Cardi B was provided with a phone containing her speech text. She continued her remarks, encouraging the audience to support Harris, asking “Are we ready to change the next eight years?” and declaring their intention to “make sure we have Kamala Harris in office for eight years!”
The exchange between Cardi B and Musk occurred against the backdrop of broader campaign dynamics, with both Harris and Trump seeking support from various constituencies. Musk himself has shown support for Trump, appearing at a rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27.
Throughout the campaign, Harris has emphasized themes of economic opportunity and social mobility, which resonated with Cardi B’s personal story. The rapper’s background as the child of immigrants and her experience with poverty programs has become part of the campaign narrative.
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