Chappell Roan took to TikTok on Tuesday to clarify statements she made about the 2024 election during an interview with The Guardian last week. In the profile, Roan explained why she has not yet made a presidential endorsement and said that she doesn’t “feel pressured to endorse someone.”
The pop star’s remarks garnered harsh criticism online, and when addressing the issue on social media Tuesday, Roan emphasized that “there is nuance to what I say in interviews and I think it’s important that people use critical thinking.”
Roan, who said November will be her third time voting, added that it’s important for her “to question authority and question world leaders and question myself, question my algorithm, question if some person that tweeted something about someone else is even true.”
The singer expressed that she wants “to be part of the generation that changes things for good” and said that her “actions have always paved the way for my project and the people who really know me.” She added, “Actions speak louder than words and actions speak louder than an endorsement.”
In the TikTok clip, Roan also read the full paragraph with her quote from The Guardian feature: “’I have so many issues with our government in every way,’ she says. ‘There are so many things that I would want to change. So I don’t feel pressured to endorse someone. There’s problems on both sides. I encourage people to use your critical thinking skills, use your vote — vote small, vote for what’s going on in your city.’ The change she wants to see in the US in this election year, she says instantly, is ‘trans rights. They cannot have cis people making decisions for trans people, period.’”
For those “still wondering,” Roan continued in the video, “No, I’m not voting for Trump.”
“I will always question those in power and those making decisions over other people. And I will stand up for what’s right and what I believe in and it’s always at the forefront of my project,” she concluded. “I’m sorry that you fell for the clickbait.”
In June, prior to President Joe Biden dropping out of the race and endorsing Kamala Harris, Roan declined an offer to perform at the White House for a Pride month event. “We want liberty, justice, and freedom for all. When you do that, that’s when I’ll come,” she told the packed crowd at her historic Governor’s Ball performance.
“Right now, it’s more important than ever to use your vote, and I will do whatever it takes to protect people’s civil rights, especially the LGBTQ+ community,” she told Rolling Stone in August for a cover story. “My ethics and values will always align with that, and that hasn’t changed with a different nominee. I feel lucky to be alive during an incredibly historical time period when a woman of color is a presidential nominee.”
