Rihanna says non-voters share blame for Trump's return and economic pain
- Rihanna said Nigerians and other observers should note that Americans who skipped the 2024 vote also helped elect Trump.
- She made the comment while reacting to a viral clip of former MSNBC host Joy Reid speaking with journalist Charles M. Blow.
- Rihanna, a Barbadian citizen, cannot vote in US elections but has previously urged Americans to vote.
Barbadian singer Rihanna has said Americans who did not vote in the 2024 presidential election share responsibility for Donald Trump's return to the White House and the economic hardship linked to his administration.
She made the remark in the comments section of an Instagram post, reacting to a viral clip of former MSNBC host Joy Reid in conversation with journalist Charles M. Blow, according to the reports.
In the clip, Reid argued that Americans deserved the financial controversies of Trump's administration because they voted him back into office. Rihanna pushed back, saying the blame should also reach those who stayed home.
"Believe it or not, those who didn't vote at all, also did this!"
Trump defeated Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in November 2024 to secure a second term, after losing his re-election bid to Joe Biden in 2020.
Why it matters to Nigerians
US elections are not a distant matter for Nigeria. Decisions taken in Washington affect the naira, fuel import costs, dollar remittances from Nigerians abroad and trade rules that shape prices at home. When Americans talk about who is to blame for economic pain under Trump, Nigerians watching their own cost of living have a stake in the argument.
Rihanna's comment also touches a familiar theme in Nigeria, where voter turnout has often been low in governorship and presidential elections. Her point, as she framed it, is that staying away from the polls is itself a choice with consequences.
There is an irony in the post. Rihanna lives in the United States but is a citizen of Barbados, not America, so she could not vote in that election. The reports note she has previously encouraged Americans to use their voting rights even though she cannot cast a ballot herself.
None of the reports say whether Rihanna was speaking about any specific policy or price. Her comment was general, aimed at the outcome of the vote and the economic difficulties she associates with Trump's time in office.
What happens next
There is no formal step attached to a social media comment. But the exchange adds to a wider conversation in the US about voter apathy, and it is likely to keep drawing reactions online as the clip continues to circulate.
