'Vote for Daddy Bernie, bitch': the political history of Cardi B

In a different political moment, Cardi B would probably be playing the biggest gig of her career next weekend, at the Super Bowl half-time show performing with – and probably upstaging – Maroon 5.

But in December she made clear that although an official invitation had not yet been extended, she would be unmoved by the opportunity. A spokesperson said she wouldn’t perform because of how she felt about “Colin Kaepernick and the whole movement”. Cardi has been a vocal supporter of Kaepernick and has repeatedly called on NFL teams to hire him.

Her Super Bowl refusal began a flurry of political activity. Last week, as the federal shutdown dragged on, she posted a video in which she said: “I just want to remind y’all because it’s been a little bit over three weeks, Trump is now ordering, as in summoning, federal government workers to go back to work without getting paid.”

She dismissed comparisons to the 2013 shutdown, which took place under the Obama administration.

“I don’t want to hear y’all motherfuckers talking about, ‘Oh, but Obama shutdown the government for 17 days.’ Yeah, bitch. For healthcare,” she said, going on to argue that allowing grandmas to get their blood pressure checked and ensuring the availability of gynaecological screenings was not comparable to Donald Trump’s border wall.

A number of Democratic senators including Brian Schatz, Chris Murphy and Chuck Schumer tweeted that they wanted to share Cardi’s message but were concerned about its many expletives. Schatz eventually concluded that it “wouldn’t be senatorial”.

Days later, the Fox News host Tomi Lahren mocked Cardi’s participation in the debate.

Cardi was quick to respond, tweeting: “Leave me alone I will dog walk you.”

In response, Lahren said her “political rambling” was “moronic”, to which Cardi also replied.

It’s common for rightwing pundits like Lahren to attack entertainment stars for getting involved in politics, often complaining that they’re not informed enough to be involved in serious debate.

It’s true that when Cardi came to fame she wasn’t known for her political activism. The press tended to focus on her idiosyncratic speaking style and start as an exotic dancer.

But she has also been outspoken on a number of political issues. She has a clear stance on gun control, in favour of mental evaluations for gun purchasers. She thinks the minimum age to own a gun should be raised above 21.

She supported Bernie Sanders in the presidential primaries – “Vote for Daddy Bernie, bitch” were her exact words – and has spoken about the ways “America is a scam”, saying: “If there’s a Republican president the only people who benefit are the ‘rich rich’, corporation owners.” Bernie returned the favour last year, tweeting: “Cardi B is right.”

Once Trump took office she questioned his lack of a focus on Puerto Rico. After Hurricane Maria she tweeted: “Puerto Rico in crisis right now and Donald has not yet visited or talk about it. PR is part of the USA you know. Don’t forget about the island.”

Cardi’s politics are not straightforwardly progressive. In an Instagram Live video last year she said the government gives handouts to the poor in order for them to remain poor – an idea that has often been voiced by Republican politicians.

But her political hero is a Democrat. In April last year she told GQ about why she loves Franklin D Roosevelt. “He helped us get over the Depression, all while he was in a wheelchair. Like, this man was suffering from polio at the time of his presidency, and yet all he was worried about was trying to make America great – make America great again for real … if it wasn’t for him, old people wouldn’t even get social security.”

But if Lahren needs further proof of Cardi’s credentials for commenting on politics perhaps she could give her a pop quiz. In the same GQ interview, Cardi bragged about being able to recite all the US presidents in order and her ability to provide trivia on any president on demand. When the GQ interviewer randomly selected James Buchanan, Cardi responded without a pause that he was the 15th president and the only president to be a bachelor.

So far, she has managed to hold her own in any political skirmish. Today, the Daily Caller’s Stephanie Hamill attacked her for her twerking-heavy new video. In response, Cardi tweeted: “All these conservatives been harassing me and telling me the most disgusting things these past few days. Listen I’m not telling ya to turn liberal all I’m saying is to admit that your president is fuckin up this country right now!”

Hamill had no response.