The ex-president’s legal problems make him appealing as a candidate, the Grammy Award-winning rap artist has said
Curtis Jackson, the Grammy Award-winning rapper better known as ‘50 Cent’, has shared his views on the upcoming US presidential election, saying he sees black men supporting former President Donald Trump.
Responding to questions from CBS News correspondent Nikole Killion on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, the musician, who backed Trump during his 2020 election campaign, said that he had not made up his mind about who he was voting for in the election scheduled for November 2024.
The artist, who also owns liquor company Sire Spirits, visited Capitol Hill with civil rights attorney Ben Crump to meet with both Republican and Democrat lawmakers to advocate for increased black representation in the liquor industry.
When asked about the “significance of African American men” in the election, 50 Cent said that he sees them “identifying with Trump.” Elaborating on the reason, the rapper said it was because “they got RICO charges” as well.
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The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, abbreviated as RICO, is US federal legislation that was enacted more than 50 years ago to tackle organized crime. The act often targets large groups and their leaders allegedly conducting organized criminal activity.
The former president, who was found guilty by a New York City jury last week on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, also faces one RICO charge in the state of Georgia in a separate case related to 2020 election interference. Trump has decried the charges and conviction as a “scam” and insisted that they were politically motivated.
US President Joe Biden’s election campaign has also been attempting to increase support among black voters, which were a core constituency for his 2020 win. His campaign launched the “Black Voters for Biden-Harris” initiative in May to partner with black organizations and boost outreach.