Why Cardi B is the Truest Hero of the #Resistance
With her quick wits, social media prowess, and no-bullshit candor, Cardi B is emerging as one of the loudest voices of the left — a political firebrand who’s fighting for her right to twerk — in a pro-labor kind of way. After posting a viral video last week in which she unapologetically bashed the Trump administration for the costliest government shutdown in American history, Cardi has continued her crusade with a stream of decidedly leftist tweets. She hasn’t joined a local DSA chapter yet, but Cardi’s politics have made her a centerpiece of political conversations. She’s received praise from progressive commentators like Corey Robin. The Guardian has done a close read of her political history. And never forget that one time Senator Bernie Sanders showed Cardi some love — about our precarious social safety net.
Cardi’s not-so-sudden emergence as a political voice can also be chalked up to her unapologetic clapbacks toward conservative pundits, which are savage and mostly fact-check correct. (Liberals, take note!) After Fox News‘ Tomi Lahren melted down over the rapper’s political views, calling her “moronic,” Cardi subsequently told Lahren that she would “dog walk her.” She quickly followed this with a more balanced dose of social truth, writing: “You’re so blinded with racism that you don’t even realize the decisions the president you root for is destroying the country you claim to love so much. You are a perfect example on no matter how educated or smart you think you are you still a SHEEP!” Then, when a columnist for the conservative website The Daily Caller, Stephanie Hamill, tweeted out the video of Cardi’s new song “Twerk” challenging its depiction of women, Cardi issued a full-throated response critiquing conservative double standards. “It says to women that I can wear and not wear what ever I want. do w/e I want and that NO still means NO. So Stephanie chime in..If I twerk and be half naked does that mean I deserve to get raped and molested ? I want to know what a conservative woman like you think.”
It’s no surprise, then, that a certain corner of the Twitter has firmly pledged its loyalty to Cardi as the emerging hero of the resistance. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: #Cardi2020.