Cher calls Trump 'racist cretin,' 500,000+ sign petition for Macy's to drop him
In the aftermath of Trump's election night meltdown, singer Cher called him a 'racist cretin' on Twitter, igniting a nasty public feud. Trump responded by attacking her appearance: 'I don't wear a wig. Cher, I don't know how to break this to you... but I'm worth billions of dollars.' More significantly, over 500,000 people signed a petition urging Macy's to stop carrying Trump merchandise and drop him from advertising. The petition cited his 'especially hateful and inflammatory' statements about President Obama. Macy's initially stood by Trump, though the department store would eventually cut ties with him in 2015 after his Mexican 'rapists' comments.
“@cher—I don't wear a 'rug'—it's mine. And I promise not to talk about your massive plastic surgeries that didn't work.” — Trump's Twitter response to Cher calling him a 'racist cretin' Quote verified against source
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryThe Macy's petition represented early consumer backlash against Trump's political persona. Half a million signatures in 2012 foreshadowed the much larger boycott movements that would follow his 2015 campaign announcement. Macy's decision to stand by Trump in 2012 but cut ties after 'rapists' comments suggests there was a line - just one Trump wouldn't cross for three more years.
Trump's response to Cher - attacking her appearance and bragging about his wealth - became his standard playbook for any celebrity critic. The feud also showed how celebrities were willing to call Trump explicitly 'racist' years before he ran for office.