Cardi B Says She's Not Voting This Year

By Tariro Mzezewa, the Cut's morning blogger.   Her coverage areas include culture, politics and art. She also contributes to Vulture, The New York Times and Conde Nast Traveler. She previously worked as a national correspondent at The New York Times.

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images

Over the past five years, Cardi B has become a pundit in her own right, pumping out viral videos about the government shutdown, inflation, and budget cuts. She's previously used her platform to interview Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders and has repeatedly urged her fans to vote. But despite telling followers that she woke up early to vote for Biden in 2020, she says she won't be voting this year because she's unimpressed with Biden and Trump. Or, as she put it in a new interview with Rolling Stone: "I don't fuck with both of y'all niggas."

Despite having endorsed Biden in 2020, Cardi said she has experienced "layers and layers of disappointment" with the administration in how it has dealt with both domestic and foreign policy. She said the high cost of living and low wages combined with Biden's backing of the war in Gaza and the war in Ukraine have left her feeling like "people got betrayed."

This isn't the first time Cardi has expressed her disappointment with the Biden administration and politics more broadly. In November, she said she'd never endorse any candidate again. "I'm not endorsing no fucking presidents no more, because how is there a $100 million budget cut in New York City for fucking schools, library, police safety, and sanitation?" while the country could "fund two wars." Although Biden isn't in charge of New York City's budget, Cardi's frustration went viral. Per Rolling Stone, she doubled down in March, telling L.A. radio host Big Boy that she planned to sit out this year's election.

She isn't alone: According to a Washington Post-Ipsos poll conducted in April, fewer Black Americans — especially younger ones between the ages of 18 and 39 — are planning to vote for Biden in November than four years ago. One Black voter, Michayla Crumble, told the Post that she's "less impressed with" Biden because of the economy and the war in Gaza, so "the likelihood of me voting for him again is pretty low."