Ahead of today’s US presidential election, Lady Gaga made a stop at Joe Biden’s closing rally in the key state of Pennsylvania, to throw her support behind the Democratic candidate and give a performance of her Oscar-winning song, “Shallow”.
Gaga’s appearance came as she’s still embroiled in a war of words with current president Donald Trump, after his administration condemned her as an ‘anti-fracking activist’ in a press release on Sunday (November 1). The Chromatica singer used the rally as an opportunity to confront the current president’s history of alleged sexual assault and inappropriate sexual remarks – specifically, his infamous “Grab them by the pussy” comment in a leaked Access Hollywood tape from 2005.
“To all the women, and all the men with daughters, and sisters, and mothers,” Gaga says, in a video from the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania event. “Everybody, no matter how you identify, now is your chance to vote against Donald Trump, a man who believes his fame gives him the right to grab one of your daughters, or sisters, or mothers, or wives by any part of their bodies.”
“Vote for Joe. He’s a good person.”
Prior to the Joe Biden rally, Trump also took new (and, notably, baseless) shots at Gaga during his own Pennsylvania appearance. Referencing her renewed support for the Biden campaign, he says: “Lady Gaga... is not too good. I could tell you stories about Lady Gaga.”
The key takeaway? Like he did with Beyoncé before her, Trump seems to have some trouble pronouncing Lady Gaga’s name properly.
The pair’s ongoing feud was seemingly established on Sunday after Gaga was namechecked in the press release written by Trump’s press director Tim Murtaugh, who criticised Biden for working with her due to her support for a 2012 anti-fracking campaign led by Yoko Ono.
“Nothing exposes Joe Biden’s disdain for the forgotten working men and women of Pennsylvania like campaigning with anti-fracking activist Lady Gaga,” reads the release. “This desperate effort to drum up enthusiasm for his lacklustre candidacy is actually a sharp stick in the eye for 600,000 Pennsylvanians who work in the fracking industry.”
Lady Gaga later tweeted in response: “HEY TIM HEY @realDonaldTrump SO HAPPY IM GLAD TO BE LIVING RENT FREE in your HEAD.”
In the run-up to the election, Lady Gaga has been particularly vocal about voting, even revisiting some of her career’s most iconic looks for a PSA on making your voice heard. As for her own vote, that’s already been delivered, along with a video of her strutting to the ballot box in pink platform boots.