Doechii had the mic, and she used it. Now, she’s standing by her bold BET Awards speech calling out President Donald Trump.
During what’s often billed as “culture’s biggest night” in June, the rapper seized a rare live-TV opportunity to call out Trump’s controversial deployment of thousands of National Guard troops in Los Angeles to suppress protests over the administration’s immigration crackdown.
In a July 10 cover story for British Vogue, Doechii opened up about the moment and why she chose to speak out.
“I’m not that desensitized, and it felt right,” she said of her speech. “I felt like I needed to use that moment, and they were live, so it wasn’t shit they could do about it.”
Before even entering the Peacock Theater in downtown LA, the rapper said, she witnessed protesters gathering outside — a sight that stirred her to act. She told Vogue that staying silent wasn’t an option.
While Doechii said she was “honored” to be awarded Best Female Hip Hop Artist, her first BET award, the night had a deeper resonance for her — one where artistry and activism collided.
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“There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order,” she said while accepting the award. “Trump is using military forces to stop a protest. And I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic rights to protest, the military is deployed against us.”
“What type of government is that?” she asked.
