Late night talk host Jimmy Kimmel invited controversy on Wednesday night (May 25), with the booking of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump onto his show. But he perhaps hadn't expected one thing to lead to another, as he was taken by surprise when singer The Weeknd and his partner Belly cancelled their performance in protest of the billionaire's appearance. Their sentiments were felt by many, as numerous individuals from a crowd of protesters that had converged outside of Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre, blasted Trump and openly questioned Kimmel's judgement in providing him such a favorable platform.
The performers had planned to deliver a song from Belly's catalog titled "Might Not," but as the more vocal of the two in the event's aftermath, it would've been difficult to convince him to reconsider. "I feel like the way I was raised was to be able to see through all the titles in this world — from religion to race," he told the Associated Press. "I just didn't want to feel like I was a part of a celebration for somebody who has beliefs that majority of us don't agree with." Many right wing supporters hoped that the GOP nominee would tone down his offensive rhetoric as he headed forward for the general election, but with recent references to Native American blooded Senator Elizabeth Warren as "Pocahontas", and continued attacks on Hillary or the way she dealt with former President Bill Clinton's infidelity, fears over his perspectives persist.
The scene outside of Jimmy Kimmel Live! did nothing to ease anxieties following a near riot at of a Trump convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Tuesday night. Police lined the sidewalk and patrolled the boulevard on horseback. Next up for the businessman turned politician is his scheduled attendance at a Memorial Day rally in San Diego, but not before he returns to Cali for a meeting with agricultural business leaders on Friday.
Source: latimes.com
