Aloe Blacc: “Donald Trump has no desire to help the most vulnerable among us”

Aloe Blacc has said that Donald Trump will turn into an authoritarian leader if he is elected for a second term in the White House.

The acclaimed soul singer issued the stark warning as he prepares to release his second album ‘All Love Everything’, which sees Blacc tackling the state of the world in 2020.

While Blacc’s first record since 2013 strikes a largely positive note for the future, the track ‘My Way’ sees him tackling Trump’s controversial plans for an expansive wall on the US-Mexico border.

And with the US election looming, he believes a second term could see Trump using sinister forces to cement his power.

Blacc told NME last month: “He’s shown that’s his character time and time again, and with no third term to lose, there’s really no stopping an individual who has no compassion, no empathy, no sense of community and no desire to help the most needy and most vulnerable among us.

“Ultimately, that is the job of government, to protect everyone within our society.”

Blacc also explained how ‘My Way’ offers a swift riposte to the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies.

“In the song ‘My Way’ there’s the lyric in the bridge: ‘Every time they build a wall around me I will tear it down and say I’ma live my dreams,’” he explained.

“These are really specific lyrics that sound vague, but I’m talking about my experience as as a first generation immigrant in the US and the plight of other immigrants who are trying to find a better life they can lead.

“This current administration is trying to demonise immigrants and build a wall on the border to keep them out. That’s a very specific lyric to talk about tearing that wall down and continuing to live the dream.”

But despite the uncertainty of November’s election, the US singer said he was hopeful that Joe Biden will secure victory — and pointed towards concerted efforts to prevent voter suppression across the country.

“Trump won by a narrow margin last time, but in terms of the Electoral College he was able to map up in the country in a way that allowed him to win. But the voter suppression that has historically happened here, where the Republican Party will fight for laws that systematically target people of colour and youth, are being overturned by the Democrats.

“Lawyers are suing the states. For example, if you are in Michigan it was illegal for your church to create a bus ride so that all of the church members could go to the polls at the same time because they made a law where it was illegal to pay for your transportation.

“That was a law specifically targeting voters so that it made it difficult for black people to get to the polls. That’s been overturned.”

Reflecting on the current societal unrest, he added that the Black Lives Matter movement was helping to galvanise America and said that support from “amazing white allies” has helped it to continue its momentum.

“The movement for Black Lives has existed for 400-500 years. This is not new, but what’s new is in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, there are amazing white allies who have lent their voices, resources and privilege to the movement,” he said.

“Without that, it would still be a lot of people of colour yelling for change [being] met with denial and apathy. To have the help and the hands and voices of those whose parents, grandparents, ancestors were part of the oppression is really important. That’s what the difference is, and it’s the same difference that helped the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s.

“Without continuing that, it could be a hard fight. But the younger generation is recognising the ills of the past and they want to correct and move forward in a positive way.”

Aloe Blacc’s ‘All Love Everything’ is out now.