The singer denounced the former president, singling out the impact of his administration’s family separations policy in Arizona, and endorsed Kamala Harris.
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Linda Ronstadt, seen in Canelo, Ariz., in 2022, condemned Donald J. Trump and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.
The singer Linda Ronstadt denounced Donald J. Trump on Wednesday night in a statement released before his scheduled visit to Tucson for a campaign rally on Thursday, saying she had felt compelled to speak out because his event would be held at a venue named after her.
Her statement, which also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, took aim at the former president on a range of issues, including the rape allegations against him — he was found liable for sexual abuse in a civil case last year — and his felony convictions in New York. She particularly objected to the policy during his presidency that separated thousands of migrant families at the southern border, sending children off to shelters and foster homes across the country while their parents were criminally prosecuted.
“It saddens me to see the former president bring his hate show to Tucson, a town with deep Mexican American roots and a joyful, tolerant spirit,” Ms. Ronstadt wrote.
“I don’t just deplore his toxic politics, his hatred of women, immigrants and people of color, his criminality, dishonesty and ignorance — although there’s that,” she continued. “For me it comes down to this: In Nogales and across the southern border, the Trump administration systematically ripped apart migrant families seeking asylum.”
She ended with a postscript addressed to Mr. Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, whose past comments disparaging women without children as “childless cat ladies” have drawn attention since he was named to the ticket.
Ms. Ronstadt wrote that she raised two adopted children as a single mother and owns a cat. “Am I half a childless cat lady because I’m unmarried and didn’t give birth to my kids? Call me what you want, but this cat lady will be voting proudly in November for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,” she wrote.
Mr. Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ms. Ronstadt, 78, is the latest in a wave of cultural figures who have endorsed Ms. Harris or tried to disassociate their names or their work from Mr. Trump.
Taylor Swift, one of the most successful musical artists in the world, announced after the presidential debate on Tuesday night that she would be voting for Ms. Harris. She, too, called herself a “childless cat lady.”
Last week, a federal judge ordered Mr. Trump and his campaign to stop using the song “Hold On, I’m Coming” by Isaac Hayes at his rallies, after Mr. Hayes’s estate sued. Numerous other artists, including Abba, Celine Dion and the Foo Fighters, have also objected to Mr. Trump’s use of their music.
Maggie Astor covers politics for The New York Times, focusing on breaking news, policies, campaigns and how underrepresented or marginalized groups are affected by political systems. More about Maggie Astor
See more on: 2024 Elections: News, Polls and Analysis, Donald Trump, Linda Ronstadt, Kamala Harris
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Source: nytimes.com
