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Someone is getting played — whether it’s the fans, artists, or President Trump himself. It remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: someone is being disingenuous. As the list of performers for Trump’s inauguration slowly emerges, the musicians who’ve confirmed their attendance have been met with confusion and disappointment. But no one expected that Snoop Dogg, of all people, would also make the list.
Snoop spent much of Trump’s first term critiquing not just Trump’s often racist and xenophobic rhetoric but also his supporters. Back then, Snoop didn’t mince words when expressing his disdain for President Trump. USA Today reported on a visit he made to Sirius XM studios, where he called Trump a racist and declared that even when the always controversial Kanye West supported him, Snoop Dogg would also turn his back on him. Snoop didn’t stop there. He released an album and a now-deleted video for his song Lavender (Nightfall Remix), where he shoots a clown meant to mock the president, prompting an actual response from Trump’s active Twitter account at the time.
So it’s no surprise that fans were stunned when Snoop not only walked back his previous comments but also became a key performer at the Crypto Ball pre-inauguration party, entertaining major Trump donors from the cryptocurrency community. One user highlighted the stark contrast between Snoop’s past and present stances, and Elon Musk, never one to miss a post on X, commented, calling it a major “vibe shift.”
There are several reasons why people might be cosplaying as Trump supporters. In the 2020 election, Trump pardoned rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black in exchange for their support in a demographic he had completely lost at the time. There’s also speculation that Snoop is performing for Trump because of the latter’s pardon of his former business partner, Michael “Harry-O” Harrison, from the prime days of Death Row Records in the 1990s.
Many users on X were quick to point out the likely reasons behind Trump and Snoop’s reunion, some commenting under Musk’s post, claiming it’s a matter of self-preservation.
Another user described it as just the latest example of someone succumbing to whatever power train is currently in motion, no matter where it leads.
A more cynical commenter speculated that Trump might have bribed Snoop.
These are answers we’ll only get when both parties have nothing left to gain or lose from this clear marriage of convenience. It’s worth remembering that just days before the election, Trump made his now-definitive appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, where he mentioned that some people behind the scenes told him they only pretended to hate him to further their careers. He never specified who he was talking about, but it now seems that Snoop might be likely one of the candidates. But if people around him can pretend to hate him, then they can certainly pretend to like him too. For Elon Musk and his cohorts, however, it’s clear that all they care about is perception. This apparent “vibe shift” will be enough for them.