Dr. Umar Johnson addressed his followers on Instagram Thursday (Aug. 15) with a pointed message directed at celebrities he suspects have been financially incentivized to back Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign.
In his video, Johnson asserted that the Black vote is not something that should be “for sale,” and specifically mentioned two celebrities whom he believes are being compensated to influence the community’s support for Harris.
At one point, Johnson even referred to her as “Kabama Harris,” drawing a deliberate parallel to former President Barack Obama.
“The Black vote ain’t for sale no more,” he says within the Instagram video. “We bartering on business! We standing on business! Bring us some tangibles or get out of my face.”
He goes on to rant about Steve Harvey and Rickey Smiley:
“Rickey Smiley, I love you, but crying on the radio for Kamala Harris my brother? It’s an all-time low. Don’t do that again Rickey Smiley. Don’t you get on your radio show and cry for Kamala…If you want to cry for Kabama Harris…you do that in the privacy of your own house. But if we’re going to be honest, Steve Harvey and Rickey Smiley — and I love you both, no hate to my big brothers — but if we’re going to be honest, Rickey Smiley and Steve Harvey, ya’ll only carried on because ya’ll got paid to carry on. Can we please be honest? Can we?”
“Kamala Harris and the Democratic plantation is paying you celebrities, paying you to shame Black people into voting [for Harris]. Ya’ll know we not going to get nothing out of that vote…ya’ll being bought. They offered me $10K for an interview with Kamala Harris. I don’t want your money, but we can definitely do the interview…yes, we can do the interview, but keep your damn money.”
Dr. Umar reveals that Kamala Harris’s team offered him $10,000 for an interview with Kamala Harris and says Kamala Harris’s team is paying Rickey Smiley, Steve Harvey, and other celebrities to shame Black people into voting for Kamala Harris. pic.twitter.com/w4vZLmfxZf
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) August 15, 2024
Twitter is calling cap on the whole thing!
No way in hell Kamala would talk to Umar. She’s not even doing interviews or talking to the press.
— badguy (@rosterguard_98) August 15, 2024
and
Dr. Umar is not turning down 10K???? pic.twitter.com/OzaYScdPmF
— HarrietEve9 (@HarrietEve9) August 15, 2024
and
Beloved. They are not calling folks for interviews. A sitting vice president is only going to certain platforms that a nationally syndicated programs.
— zo (@lourenzosmith) August 15, 2024