NEW YORK, NY - MAY 03: Snoop Dog performs onstage at the AOL NewFront 2016 at Seaport District NYC on May 3, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for AOL)
Donald Trump tweeted that Snoop Dogg would have gotten jail time if his latest music video had been released during President Barack Obama‘s tenure in office.
Snoop released a music video this week for his new song “Lavender,” in which he is seen shooting a toy gun a clown dressed like Trump. When the rapper fires, a flag that says “BANG!” hangs out of the barrel.
Yesterday Trump tweeted, “Can you imagine what the outcry would be if @SnoopDogg, failing career and all, had aimed and fired the gun at President Obama? Jail time!”
“If there’s not a true threat, then it’s absolutely protected free speech,” says Snoop’s lawyer Bruce Johnson told The Washington Post. He then referred to an incident in 2010 in which former Alaska governor and Republican VP candidate Sarah Palin posted a map with crosshairs over her Democratic lawmaker opposition. Ten months later, Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in the head. “No one thought Sarah Palin should have been prosecuted for bringing that image to bear in the public marketplace,” said Johnson, despite many believing the image posted caused the assassination attempt.
Constitutional lawyer Floyd Abrams agrees that the video is fully protected under the First Amendment. “In light of the amount of threats on his life,” said Abrams, referring to Obama, “there might well have been public denunciation. But as a legal matter, it’s quite clear that there could have been no prosecution or jail time.”
Few people online seemed to agree with the President either. “You… you know that wasn’t really you in the video right?,” asked Twitter user Ben Hooper. “POTUS can’t tell the difference between himself and an actor dressed as a clown version of himself.”
“And bro. How did you get “assassinated” by Snoop with a toy gun that shoots bang flags? Come on now,” added user Kristina Wong.
Many pointed out the hypocrisy of his statement, as Trump has been a big supporter of gun use across America. In addition, Trump also repealed the so-called Sandy Hook Law, an action that allows the mentally ill to purchase guns without question.
“Trump repealed the “SandyHook” law, giving real guns back to the mentally ill and now he is upset about this music video?” asked on Twitter user. “Trump upset with Snoop, but Mr President didn’t you suggest gun owners use their right against HRC?” asked another.
Watch the music video below.
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