Lil Wayne’s alleged ex-girlfriend, Denise Bidot, has broken her silence regarding her relationship status.

The internet slowly sipped their drinks after it was reported that curvacious baddie, Denise Bidot, dumped Lil Wayne after he showed support for Donald Trump and his bootleg “platinum plan.” Now Bidot has broken her silence on the matter and is claiming that was not the case.

Initially, a “source” reportedly close to the situation claimed, “She broke up with Wayne. It wasn’t just his Trump support, but that was a big part,” and “was shocked when she saw Wayne come out with Trump. She’s so disappointed in him.” Bidot responded to a tweet on Twitter and flat out denied Weezy’s caping for Trump ended their months-long relationship stating, “I did not. This is absolutely false.”

It still looks like it’s a wrap for Weezy and Bidot’s relationship. Before she deleted her Instagram account, which is a big deal for a model, the  Puerto Rican and Kuwait baddie shared a cryptic message in her Instagram Stories stating, “Sometimes love just isn’t enough [HEARTBROKEN EMOJI].” They even unfollowed each other on social media, which also this generation’s way of saying IDFWU.

Weezy hasn’t said much since coming out in support of Donald Trump. He did, however, dropped this head*ss tweet, which sounds like a bar from a song he has in the stash.

“I live the way I love and love the way I live. I’m a lover not a lighter bekuz they burn out. I am an eternal fire and burning love, either leave with a tan, a 3rd degree burn, or stay and die in love. You’re sweating. Sincerely, the fireman.”

Whatever the hell that means, it’s clear Weezy is down in the dumps. That’s what happens when you support Donald Trump.

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Photo: Gonzalo Marroquin / Getty

As far as political commentators go, Keith Olbermann may no longer be a go-to pundit for some but that hasn’t kept him from becoming a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. In one of his Twitter missives, the former ESPN and MSNBC host made a weird tweet referencing LeVar Burton‘s iconic Kunta Kinte character from the Roots miniseries, and the actor made sure to school Olbermann on his mishap.

In a now-deleted tweet that got some burn before its disappearance, Olbermann wrote the following in connection to a Fox News segment focused on President Trump.

“Yes, @realDonaldTrump has always been, will always be, and on the day of his bid for re-election, still is: a whiny little Kunta Kinte,” Olbermann wrote on Election Day.

The tweet got a measurable amount of critique and flabbergasted response from the Twitterverse before Olbermann saved himself from further ridicule by deleting it altogether. Olbermann offered a confusing and unbelievable apology tweet, which Burton took aim his reaction towards.

“I was using an old 70’s-80’s technique for calling somebody a c*** without writing/saying c***, just using a sound-alike to call Trump a c***,” Olbermann tweeted. “Deleting previous, largely because this one clarifies the c*** part.”

In response, Burton wrote, “Dear @KeithOlbermann, #Kunta is pronounced with a long “u” as in unity, not a short “u” as in cup. Try again! Love, Kunta.”

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Photo: Getty

As election day kicked off and Joe Biden battles Donald Trump for control of the Oval Office, Kanye West seems to be content in defeat knowing that though he didn’t get to even sniff Washington with his “third-party” run, he did take his pound of flesh from the American electorate.

Deadline is reporting that the rapper turned fashion designer turned GOP operative had received at least 60,000 votes for President of The United States as of 7:45pm last night with 10,000 coming from Tennessee.

Kanye’s updated state-by-state breakdown is as follows, according to the AP:

Arkansas: 4,040

Colorado: 6,254

Idaho: 3,631

Iowa: 3,202

Kentucky: 6,259

Louisiana: 4,894

Minnesota: 7,789

Mississippi: 3,277

Oklahoma: 5,590

Tennessee: 10,216

Utah: 4,344

Vermont: 1,265

Taking to Twitter to admit defeat, Yeezy teased another Presidential run in a now deleted tweet writing “WELP KANYE 2024.” This just a day after expressing excitement that he’d be voting for someone he trusts to run the country: himself.

https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/1323641120778145792

Interestingly enough this comes a day after his wifey, Kim Kardashian posted on social media that she had already taken to the polls to cast her ballot, only for her followers to demand to know whether she voted for her husband or an actual candidate in the race. She has yet to reply to those demands.

As much of America experiences a range of emotions anxiously waiting for every presidential vote to be counted, there seems to be a growing sense of satisfaction from civil rights advocates as final results in certain statewide elections have provided somewhat of a silver lining to the national political fray.

The race between Joe Biden and Donald Trump to secure 270 electoral college votes has dominated the news cycle amid an election whose results have been delayed in part because of a record number of absentee ballots cast during a pandemic. But other items on various ballots across the country were decided in no uncertain terms, prompting civil rights groups to rejoice over the bright spots in an otherwise stormy political forecast.

Criminal justice reform advocates were delivered several key victories, including the election loss for a Georgia district attorney who investigated Ahmaud Arbery‘s killing earlier this year. Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson — who recused herself from the case of racist vigilantism after it was discovered her office worked with one of the three jailed white men charged with playing separate murderous roles in the killing the Black jogger racially profiled, chased down, trapped and shot dead in the middle of a road in February — came up short against Keith Higgins, an independent candidate who qualified for the race at the last minute. Prior to Higgins’ candidacy, Johnson, a Republican, was running unopposed.

Voting rights advocates saw their hard work pay off in California when the state’s voters approved a measure to allow parolees cast ballots in elections. In addition to restoring the right to vote for people on parole, Proposition 17 also lets parolees run for public office. The measure means that an estimated 50,000 people will be able to participate in the democratic process.

“Let’s not overlook the huge win in California tonight for voting rights,” Color of Change President Rashad Robinson accurately tweeted Tuesday night while most eyes were watching presidential election results tricking in.

Prior to Tuesday’s vote, Californians on parole and in state prison had their voting rights revoked. The Los Angeles Times reported that Proposition 17 earned 59 percent of the statewide vote.

In Mississippi, voters passed a measure to end an electoral system that originated in the Jim Crow era and was designed “to dilute the Black vote and ensure white voters would be able to choose governors and other statewide officials,” the Mississippi Free Press reported. The electoral-college style system was created in 1890 as an amendment to the state constitution because the state’s “constitutional convention was held for no other purpose than to eliminate the nigger from politics—not the ignorant, but the nigger,” Mississippi House Rep. James K. Vardaman — a white supremacist — said at the time.

Trump may have won the state, but election advocates won the right for the state to move to a more conventional system based on the popular vote. In another win for human decency, Mississippi voters also approved a new state flag design that will eliminate its existing Confederate theme.

Lastly, marijuana advocates declared cannabis as the real winner of Tuesday’s elections as voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota moved to legalize the plant in some way, shape or form. The move is a significant step in addressing the racial disparities in the criminal justice system as Black and brown people remain disproportionately suffering the brunt of related arrests.

After Tuesday’s election, there are now 15 states that have either enacted or voted to enact adult-use marijuana legalization laws. Thirty-six states have either enacted or have voted to enact medical marijuana access laws, too.

Erik Altieri, the executive director of NORML, said the federal government needs to listen to what voters are saying about marijuana.

“The public has spoken loudly and clearly. They favor ending the failed policies of marijuana prohibition and replacing it with a policy of legalization, regulation, taxation, and public education,” Altieri said in an emailed statement. “Elected officials — at both the state and federal level — ought to be listening.”

SEE ALSO:

Results Trickle In As Data Show Roles Black Voters Are Playing In 2020 Election

Jaime Harrison Falls Short In Historic Bid For Lindsey Graham’s South Carolina U.S. Senate Seat

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Common and Tiffany Haddish are still going strong despite breakup rumors last week.

On Friday (Oct 30), during his interview on The Karen Hunter Show, Common gushed over his relationship with the comedian, stating that the two are doing “wonderful.”

“She’s a really incredible human being, and the more I get to know her, I just see how dynamic she is as a person. How intelligent, how selfless she is, how she stands up in Hollywood for black women. I’m learning,” Common said. “You know what I mean? She takes it like the law, especially within – any area of life – but then the Hollywood structure, sometimes you have to shake them up and say ‘hey, y’all, this is what it has to be.”

Despite rumors that the two had previously called it quits after it was noticed they stopped following each other on social media, the Beautiful Revolution rapper added that Haddish’s heart is what keeps him captivated the most before noting that he likes the fact the two have “fun” together.

“She’s also fun. She’s fun,” Common continued. “Tiffany has a good heart at the end of the day.”

Tiffany Haddish also recently gushed over Common.

During her interview with Extra, the Girl’s Trip actress revealed that she believes that the two are in it for the long haul before adding that she “has never felt this way about anyone else” previously.

“I feel like it’s gonna work,” Tiffany Haddish shared with Extra‘s Rachel Lindsay. “I haven’t felt like this about a relationship ever.”

The happy couple also dispelled breakup rumors on social media after saying “I love you” to each other via Instagram Live.

Check out Common’s interview below.

The presidential election will most likely continue to dominate the news cycle for much of the week if not longer as the race is still far too close to call. Despite the slim margins, President Donald Trump has prematurely declared victory over Joe Biden and it remains to be seen how the ending plays out.

Election Day (Nov. 3) was, as observed by many a commentator, pundit, and anchor, a nail-biter with Biden owning 238 electoral college votes to Trumps’s 213 according to The Associated Press. And like the presidential election, the U.S. Senate race is also undecided with the Democratic Party gaining one seat thus far but are still sitting at 45-47 with the Republican Party holding the slim majority.

President Trump, taking to his favored vehicle of Twitter after being largely silent on Election Day, got right back to the antics Wednesday morning (Nov 4).

“Last night I was leading, often solidly, in many key States, in almost all instances Democrat run & controlled. Then, one by one, they started to magically disappear as surprise ballot dumps were counted. VERY STRANGE, and the “pollsters” got it completely & historically wrong,” Trump wrote in a tweet that has been blocked by the service.

He continued with, “How come every time they count Mail-In ballot dumps they are so devastating in their percentage and power of destruction?”

In the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives, that side lost four seats while the Republicans gained four, although Democrats still hold a 189-183 majority as of this writing. But while doom and gloom seem to be the order of the day for those who hoped for a landslide in Biden’s favor or flipping of the Senate, there has been some historic good news afoot.

Cori Bush is now the first Black congresswoman for Missouri’s 1st District. Bush, who was among the many activists on the ground in Ferguson after the killing of Mike Brown, took to Twitter and shared her gratitude and a promise to continue fighting for equal rights on the behalf of Missourians.”

“Mike Brown was murdered 2,278 days ago. We took to the streets for more than 400 days in protest. Today, we take this fight for Black Lives from the streets of Ferguson to the halls of Congress. We will get justice,” Bush began in a Twitter thread.

She added, “I am the first nurse going to Congress from Missouri—in the middle of a pandemic. Nurses all across the country have risked their lives to save others. Working class people need representatives who look like them and who have experienced their struggles. I am that champion.”

For the proponents of marijuana legalization, four states passed measures for adult recreational use, while a southern state passed a measure for medical usage. Arizona, New Jersey, Montana and South Dakota will now move towards allowing the use of cannabis for leisure purposes. In addition, South Dakota also passed a medical marijuana measure. Mississipi will now allow medical marijuana usage in the state.

Millions of votes are still being counted and most are awaiting the results of the tight races in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, with most analysts suggesting Biden needs to carry his state of birth in Pennsylvania and perhaps Michigan in order to pull further away. Georgia is still continuing its count but most observations are leaning towards Trump winning the state.

Drug policy advocates and those on the frontlines for decriminalization have reason to celebrate in Oregon after it became the first state to decriminalize hard drugs such as heroin, meth, and cocaine for personal use. Some say this is an effective strategy to mitigate the rash of drug convictions and offer a pathway to substance abuse treatment.

As details develop, we’ll return to update this post.

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Photo: WENN

A white man in Louisiana has been sentenced to 25-years in prison after setting fire to three Black churches in an effort to raise his profile as a “black metal” musician.

According to The New York Times, 23-year old was sentenced and also ordered to pay nearly $2.7 million to the churches after pleading guilty in federal court in February to three counts of violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and to one count of using fire to commit a felony for his 10-day reign of terror back in April 2019 that resulted in the destruction of St. Mary Missionary Baptist Church in Port Barre, and Greater Union Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, both in Opelousas.

During the trial, prosecutors reportedly did not mention race as a factor in the charges, but the arson of the churches evoked a long history of racist crimes committed across the Jim Crow South prompting the extended sentence.

“These churches trace their origins to the post-Civil War Reconstruction period,” Assistant Attorney General of the civil rights division in the Justice Department, Eric S. Dreiband said in a statement. “The churches survived for nearly 150 years but did not survive this defendant’s warped act of hatred.”

During his sentencing, Matthews reportedly addressed the courts, stating that the act was not race-based but instead based on religious significance, before ultimately expressing sorrow for the act according to  The Acadiana Advocate of Lafayette.

“There are not enough words in the English language to say how sorry I am,” Holden Matthews reportedly said. “If I could go back and change it I would.”

During his trial, Matthews reported said that the arsons were a copycat attempt of similar crimes committed in Norway in the 1990s in an effort to elevate his status among the black metal community, whose most extreme practitioners have engaged in church burning, vandalism, and killings. Black metal is a subgenre of heavy metal, known for its unique blend of howls, nonsyncopated blast-beat drums, and cold, trebly guitars.

According to The Advocate, at the sentencing, the presiding judge, Judge Robert R. Summerhays of the Western District of Louisiana, gave Matthews credit for the 18 months that he has been in custody since his arrest in April 2019, before rendering the sentence.

In addition to his initial two federal charges, Matthews also plead guilty to six state charges in connection with the blazes, including aggravated arson of a religious building and three hate crime counts, sentencing, in that case, is pending.

Lil Wayne’s recent support for Donald Trump is turning out to be quite detrimental to his love life as well.

Lil Wayne got dragged by his last 4 remaining dreadlocks after he decided to drop on Twitter timelines that he met with Trump bigged him up on his work with “criminal reform” and his bootleg platinum plan. Tunechi has been mum since that debacle that no one had on their 2020 bingo card but generally agreed was right on-brand with a rapper who historically has caped for police officers becuase a cop saved his life.

Now, word on the internet is that not only has Wayne lost some fans, he also allegedly was given the boot by his insanely curvy boo, model Denise Bidot. Love B. Scott is reporting Bidot was not feeling Wayne’s support for Trump and kicked the rapper to the curb.

Per Love B. Scott:

According to one of her friends, Denise Bidot ended her relationship with Wayne because she can’t date a Trump supporter.

Her friend explains:

BIG Cookie energy is coming to the 2020 American Music Awards.

Deadline reports that Golden Globe-winning actress Taraji P. Henson has been tapped to host this year’s American Music Awards airing live on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 8:00 PM ET/PT, on ABC. Speaking about grabbing the honor, Henson stated:

“The AMAs brings together the music community to celebrate what really drives all artists – the fans. I’m proud to take the stage as this year’s host – and also a fan – for what promises to be an electrifying night of music.”

In an Instagram post, she added:

“I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be hosting the 2020 @AMAs! It’s going to be an electrifying night of music, so be sure to tune-in Sunday, November 22 at 8/7c on ABC! #amastnt WE GON HAVE SOME FUN!!!”

The awards show will take place live from the  Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The Weeknd and Roddy Rich lead all AMA nominations with eight. Megan Thee Stallion, a first-time nominee, secured five nominations, making her the most nominated female this year.  Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and first-time nominees DaBaby and Doja Cat are in a six-way tie with four nominations.

K-Pop fanatics can look forward to a performance from BTS who will debut their new single and perform their record-breaking hit “Dynamite.” Dua Lipa is also on the bill, and we are sure there will be plenty of virtual performances to look forward to.

Hosting the AMA’s is one of the many accomplishments Henson can add to her growing list. She is currently developing an Empire spin-off through her own production company. She also became a New York Times best-selling author thanks to her memoir Around the Way Girl, which detailed her determination to make in Hollywood while highlighting her family and friends.

AMA winners are voted entirely by fans, and the voting process is still open when you head here.

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Photo: Michael Loccisano / Getty

A harrowing scene unfolded over the weekend as a campaign bus for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris was essentially boxed in by a caravan of President Donald Trump supporters. Trump praised the so-called “Trump Train” drivers, claiming they were protecting the bus.

Last Friday (Oct. 30, a Biden campaign bus is seen traveling along a highway in video footage and was suddenly surrounded by vehicles baring Trump campaign flags and the American Flag. One video showed a truck bump into another vehicle and there were reports that Biden’s camp decided to call off some campaign events due to the incident.”

On Sunday, President Trump seemingly praised the caravan of supporters for their actions.

“Did you see the way our people, they were, ya know, protecting this bus, because they’re nice,” Trump said in Michigan. “They had hundreds of cars. Trump! Trump! Trump and the American flag.”

NPR reports that Biden addressed the bullying tactic in Texas also on Sunday during a campaign stop in Philadelphia saying to a media throng, “We’ve never had anything like this — at least we’ve never had a president who thinks it’s a good thing.”

The FBI has announced it will investigate the Trump Train’s tactics according to reporting from the Texas Tribune.

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Photo: WENN

Forgive the sports analogy, but we’re in the 4th quarter with about two minutes left, so Joe Biden is pulling out all the stops. Today (Nov. 2), the Democratic Presidential candidate dropped a new campaign ad that features Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” as its musical backdrop.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHGJcV3BMVO/

“Lose Yourself” was first released in 2002 as the lead single to the 8 Mile Soundtrack to Slim Shady’s loosely autobiographical film of the same name and eventually became the Detroit rapper’s first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also won an Academy Award for Best Original song and a  Grammy Award for Best Rap Song & Best Rap Solo Performance.

It only makes sense that Biden use the song considering Michigan is a battleground state during this year’s election. The black and white spot is titled “One Opportunity” and features blue-collar workers and frontline workers in their element and getting in formation to exercise their right to vote.

And considering the song is of such a high regard, you know Biden had to seek permission to use it, and it was granted.

Election Day is tomorrow (Nov. 3). Vote.

Watch Joe Biden’s “One Opportunity” campaign spot below.

 

Dancehall legend Beenie Man has spoken out after passing out at his mother’s funeral earlier this week.

 

On Tuesday (Oct 27) Beenie Man took to Twitter to share an update amid rumors that he was hospitalized after fainting at his mother’s funeral after footage of the dancehall icon passing out in front of his mother’s casket began circulating the web last weekend.

The heartfelt message detailed his grief of losing his mother before thanking fans for their overwhelming support,  well wishes, and love.

“On Sunday, October 25th I laid my Mom to rest. It was by far and still is the most difficult thing I have ever had to do,” Beenie Man wrote. “Leading up to the day of the funeral I was [physically] involved in every aspect of the planning and execution.”

The death of the Reggae icon’s mother, Lilieth Sewell, came three months after she suffered a stroke. After the debilitating incident, Ms. Sewell’s health began declining soon after she was released from the hospital.

“I kept telling myself, maybe if it remained active I will be able to function,” Beenie continued. “Unfortunately, when it came down to that very last moment, it hit me and hit very hards. This would be the last time I would see my mom. Despite the noise, the singing, the mourning, all I could hear was silence while watching my mom’s body being lowered into the tomb.”

Dispelling rumors of hospitalization, the “Girls Dem Sugar” artist noted that while he was not hospitalized, he is thankful that he was “surrounded by friends and family” during this difficult time, before asking fans to continue to pray for his family as they deal with the grief.

My heart broke and I blacked out for a few minutes,” he continues. “When I revived, I saw my closest friends and family were around me,” Beenie Man said. “Unfortunately that very intimate and sad moment was recorded and then circulated around the world with false statements. I was not hospitalized and I was comforted by my friends and family.”

Our condolences to Beenie Man and his family.

Read his full statement below.

 

Barack Obama does everything better than that other guy. Our Forever President shared a video of himself hitting a jumper and walking off with a diddy bop saying, “That’s what I do!”

After receiving a pass, and in dress shoes, Obama took one dribble and put up his left-handed jump shot. All net.

The last real POTUS shared the clip yesterday (Oct. 31) on Twitter not just to brag but to encourage people to vote, if you haven’t already, with the caption, “Shoot your shot. http://iwillvote.com.”

We can’t decide what was smoother, the jumper or being handed a cup while talking off and saying “That’s what I do.” He lowered his mask, for a moment, to say it again for emphasis. Presidential candidate Joe Biden was in the gym—the pair was stumping in Michigan—and approved, adding an “All net.”

LeBron James was a;lso thoroughly impressed.

 

What a time.

The United States of America is seemingly on the verge of being more divided than ever as one of the most consequential presidential elections in modern history is set to take place just two days from now. But there is a growing sense that things could get even worse depending on the election’s outcome and, perhaps more importantly, how that outcome is reached.

What exactly “worse” means is up for debate.

But with politically partisan tensions already at boiling points in key pockets of the country, fears of election-related violence have been lent further credence as the president’s racist politics of fear continue to embolden his base of far-right, white supremacist militias and otherwise violent racists that has all the ruminations of a looming civil war.

Of course, none of that is guaranteed. But if a series of reinvigorated anti-police protests, blatant instances of voter intimidation and suppression as well as surging gun sales amid provocative rhetoric across the board were any indication, the country could very well erupt in post-election violence.

https://twitter.com/ericcervini/status/1322546782572859395?s=20

A good amount of attention has been given to the prospects of violence surrounding the election, with research and polling offering a series of warnings about the parts of the country most susceptible to election-related violence. The crucial battleground states of Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were found to have the highest risk for “reactionary violence,” according to a report on right-wing militia groups and the election released by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project and MilitiaWatch. Other states that have been flagged include California, New Mexico, North Carolina, Texas and Virginia.

In particular, far-right extremist groups like the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Bois have already unabashedly demonstrated they’re not afraid of committing acts of violence in the name of politics, with the latter being accused of staging it to place blame on Black people.

But the threat of violence is far from limited to just hose states, as shown by businesses in the nation’s capital boarding up their premises to minimize any damage from the very realistic possibility of D.C. experiencing any civil unrest.

Throughout it all, the common instigating denominator has been Donald Trump, who has urged his followers to be “poll watchers,” a loaded term that can be open to interpretation from white supremacists and far-right militiamen vehemently opposed to the idea of having a Black woman be second in command of the country. 

In New York City, for instance, the Guardian Angels — a long-established group of unarmed anti-crime volunteers recognized by their signature red berets — announced Saturday its plan to patrol the five boroughs in anticipation of the worst. “The Guardian Angels will be protecting the city against rioters, violent protestors, and militias, who may be planning on capitalizing on protests on Election Night,” the group said in a press release. 

Trump’s administration is seemingly complicit with the anticipated violence as the FBI has withheld its annual report on the terror threat posed by white supremacist groups. While it’s always horrifying, the report’s absence on additional significance during an election year in which a suspected white supremacist is running for re-election. The report was supposed to be released in June, just as nationwide protests against police violence, racism and what is oftentimes the deadly combination of both were breaking out following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. 

Just as the FBI has decided against not publishing the crucial data on the terror threat posed by white supremacists, the amplified anti-police sentiment could also leave law enforcement — a group Trump has long encouraged to not be “too nice” — turning a blind eye to violence in a self-serving effort to prove their departments should not be defunded.

Looming large in the above political violence equation are the nation’s gun sales, which have surged since the beginning of the pandemic, the proliferation of which critics readily attributed to the Trump administration’s delayed response and intentional downplaying of Covid-19’s true threat. Regardless of whom is buying the guns along the partisan divide, the fact remains that there are more guns in homes — and presumably on the streets — than there were at the beginning of the year, exacerbating the threat of gun violence as citizens prepare to protect themselves from the unknown.

And as we continue to witness once-invincible major companies crumble from the coronavirus’ horrifying effects, Walmart has decided it will not be one of them by continuing to sell guns. On Friday, the megastore reversed its one-day-old decision to take guns off its shelves because of fears it could play a role in any election-related violence. The move to keep selling guns despite continued talk of a pending civil war places a priority on profits over peace at a pivotal time in the nation’s history.

With that said, it’s not just white folks buying guns.

Data show that Black people across the country are also fueling gun sales, specifically out of fear of election-related violence. The National Shooting Sports Foundation has reportedly found that Black people in America “represent the largest demographic increase in gun sales in 2020, and found that 40 percent of all firearm purchases are to first-time gun owners.”

Among them could be members of heavily armed NFAC (Not Fucking Around Coalition), an all-Black paramilitary group that has been making headlines in recent months for its strategy of being present at race-conscious events such as one following the racist vigilante shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and another protesting the police killing of Breonna Taylor in Lousiville. And while the group has seen its membership grow in response to recent police violence against Black people, the NFAC could also play a vigilant role in protecting Black voters amid reports of voter intimidation and suppression tactics at the hands of Trump supporters. 

NFAC’s leader, John Fitzgerald “Grandmaster Jay” Johnson, who has repeatedly said his group only responds to threats instead of posing them, suggested as much during a recent interview with CNN.

“Nobody says anything when other demographics pick up weapons, decide to arm themselves and confront the government over anything from wearing a mask to being cooped up in the house, but when certain demographics arm themselves all of a sudden people tend to act as if the Constitution doesn’t matter,” Johnson said.

The NFAC has not been responsible for any violence, unlike white militias, including the ones recently busted for plotting to kidnap Democratic governors and overthrow the states’ governments. The threat of like-minded groups reacting similarly to election results — whenever they come in — remains very real.

Chances are likely that if Trump was not running, fears of such election-related violence would be overblown. He has been blamed for encouraging his Twitter followers to “LIBERATE” Michigan and Virginia, the two states at the center of the kidnapping plots. Critics have said Trump’s supporters heard him loud and clear and acted on his orders.

The president doubled-down during his first debate against Joe Biden and ordered the Proud Boys to “stand by” while encouraging his supporters to be poll-watchers. Trump has warned that mailing ballots all but constitutes fraud even though that’s how he’s voted this year, pushing a conspiracy theory that the election could be “stolen.”

Experts say planting those seeds of doubt into his followers’ heads can lead to pro-Trump violence, experts say — especially if Biden is declared the election’s winner. That’s why police, the national guard and the military are all preparing for the worst.

But the U.S. sinking back into another civil war — that would be waged for unfortunately comparable reasons to the first one — is unlikely, according to Richard Hanania is a research fellow at Defense Priorities, and a postdoctoral research fellow at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University. He explained in a column for the Washington Post that his research determined the risk of civil war was little to none because, unlike in the 1860s, there are now bureaucratic pieces in place to prevent its repeat.

“Those predicting civil war have correctly identified serious problems in American society: Ever-widening divisions based on factors including race, geography and partisanship make it difficult to respond to such varied threats as pandemics, economic crises and climate change,” Hanania wrote before continuing later: “But the sooner we realize that civil war is highly unlikely, the sooner we can focus on real problems.”

SEE ALSO:

Maxine Waters Calls Out ‘Undermining’ Black Trump Voters: ‘I Will Never Ever Forgive Them’

Trump Uses ‘Angry’ Black Woman Trope To Attack Kamala Harris In Racist Rally Speech

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