Dr. Umar Claims Kamala Harris’ Team Offered Him $10K For An Interview, Calls Out Rickey Smiley, Steve Harvey
Dr. Umar Johnson took to Instagram Thursday (Aug. 15) with a message to celebrities whom he believes have been paid to support Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for the White House.
During his message to followers, Johnson declared that the Black vote should not be “for sale,” while name-dropping two celebs whom he believes have been paid to persuade others within the community to vote for Harris, whom he refers to as “Kabama Harris” at one point, an obvious comparison 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 then called out Rickey Smiley, and later Steve Harvey, for what he deemed performative support for the Democratic candidate.
“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?”
Johnson went on to double-down on his belief that celebs have been paid to support Harris, claiming that her campaign reached out to him for an interview, offering him $10K for the potential exchange.
“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.”
He also shared a text screenshot he claims is of the Harris campaign reaching out, captured by The Jasmine Brand below in the third slide.
Johnson is far from the only Black pubic figure to question Harris running for the nation’s highest office, with Judge Joe Brown making disparaging remarks about her time as a California D.A., and rappers Kodak Black and Fivio Foreign dropping a song endorsing and sampling Donald Trump, her Republican rival for the presidency.
Others, like Meek Mill, have a few questions for the VP before lending their support, while stars like Cardi B, Questlove, Beyoncé and Tina Knowles have officially endorsed the politico.
More from VIBE.com