Singer John Legend has blasted US President Donald Trump for comparing the impeachment process the House Democrats have launched against him to a "lynching" in a post on Twitter.
Legend said Tuesday:
"He's a despicable human being, and he says sh***y things all the time. (He's) Just a sh****y person. Every day he's the opposite of what you would want your child to be."
The singer-songwriter, was speaking to Neal Katyal, former Acting US Solicitor General, onstage during "Legend Has It: Activism and Influence in the Age of Trump" at Vanity Fair's 6th Annual New Establishment Summit in Beverly Hills, went on to explain why impeachment should not be compared to a lynching.
"[Lynching] is the exact opposite of what impeachment is. Impeachment is laid out in the Constitution. There's nothing extra-legal about this process, explained the singer.
Legend went further, as he shared his opinion on why he thought President Trump had referenced lynching:
"He contrasts [impeachment] with what lynching was, nasty and evil. Driven by hate, fear, mob mentality. It's despicable!" said Legend.
On 22 October Donald Trump compared the impeachment inquiry opened against him to a "lynching."
Trump tweeted early Tuesday morning:
"So someday, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here - a lynching. But we will WIN!"
So some day, if a Democrat becomes President and the Republicans win the House, even by a tiny margin, they can impeach the President, without due process or fairness or any legal rights. All Republicans must remember what they are witnessing here - a lynching. But we will WIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 22, 2019
On 24 September, US House Democrats launched an impeachment probe over a whistleblower complaint that claimed Donald Trump might have abused his power by allegedly pressuring the Ukrainian President during a 25 July phone call, to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden for corruption.
Trump has rejected all allegations of misconduct, releasing a transcript of the call and condemning the inquiry as another political witch hunt.
Later, during the Vanity Fair Summit, John Legend addressed President Trump's attack on his family and wife Chrissy Teigen, about a spate of Twitter exchanges back in September.
"He called her a filthy-mouthed wife and didn't @ her. She, in her own inimitable way, called him out on that and told him exactly what he is," said Legend.
In September Donald Trump had slammed "boring" Legend and his "filthy-mouthed wife" Teigen for seemingly stealing all the credit for the new criminal justice reforms.
Trump took aim at the couple on 9 September on Lester Holt's NBC Nightly News segment about criminal justice reform, that featured Legend, who is the founder of FREE AMERICA, an organization that raises awareness on criminal justice reform.
....A man named @VanJones68, and many others, were profusely grateful (at that time!). I SIGNED IT INTO LAW, no one else did, & Republicans deserve much credit. But now that it is passed, people that had virtually nothing to do with it are taking the praise. Guys like boring.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2019
....musician @johnlegend, and his filthy mouthed wife, are talking now about how great it is - but I didn’t see them around when we needed help getting it passed. “Anchor”@LesterHoltNBC doesn’t even bring up the subject of President Trump or the Republicans when talking about....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2019
Donald Trump did not mention Legend’s wife, Chrissy Teigen by name nor did he tag Teigen in his tweets.
Teigen and Legend were swift to reciprocate, as Legend tweeted:
Imagine being president of a whole country and spending your Sunday night hate-watching MSNBC hoping somebody--ANYBODY--will praise you. Melania, please praise this man. He needs you.
— John Legend (@johnlegend) September 9, 2019
