In a bold political move as much of the country is voting in the Presidential election, pop star Demi Lovato expressed her grievances with Donald Trump in a new song, “Commander in Chief.”
“We’re in a state of crisis, people are dyin’," she sings."While you line your pockets deep / Commander in Chief, how does it feel / To still be able to breathe?"
Sitting at a piano, Lovato emotionally performed the song on last night's Billboard Music Awards broadcast on NBC. But TMZ points out that a moment from Lovato's original recording was cut from the air.
At the conclusion of her reported original performance of the anti-Trump ballad, the word "VOTE" flashed on the screens behind her in massive white letters. In the version that aired, the camera instead zooms in on Lovato sitting at the piano and fades out.
The decision is even starker since NBC shared images of the VOTE backdrop on social media, which Lovato retweeted.
Since the song is anti-Trump, it seems NBC was uncomfortable with the implicit endorsement of Vice President Joe Biden. Billie Eilish and Lizzo also encouraged viewers to vote in their Billboard Music Awards appearances but didn't mention a specific candidate.
Variety has confirmed "NBC did step in to remove the “VOTE” visual from Lovato’s performance after the initial edit." It's notable to point out the award ceremony premiered just a day before tonight's Trump's town hall, which has ignited a #BoycottNBC movement on social media.
Lovato or NBC have yet to comment on the controversy.
