Hey Michael Steel Podcast listeners, Michael Steel here with another quick take from the

Michael Steel Podcast. Check out what's going on right now. We're talking with the incredible

Clay Aiken, Singer, Television, Personnel, all that good stuff, as you know, but insightful

and committed activists in a number of social spaces. One of the things that I'm curious about

from your perspective, Clay, you've touched on it a little bit, but I want to drill down a little

bit more on it because back in 2016, you had defended the president from accusations of racism

during that 16 election cycle. Has your views kind of shifted in light of what you

yes, okay, I'm just asking. Well, because I got a little bit of trouble because I had tried to

temper my feelings. I had like I said, I knew him in 2011, I knew him in 2012, and I did not

see that part of him when I was around him, but I wanted to, I didn't, I don't want to throw that

term around lightly. And so I was, I was very careful. I actually changed my tune after

Charlottesville. And I was a turn for a lot of people. Got in, got in some trouble from both,

to got hit from both sides because I tweeted and nobody pays attention to my tweets, but I did

tweet something to the effect of, hey, remember all those times I said Donald Trump wasn't racist.

Well, I was an idiot. I'm sorry. Of course, people on the left were mad that I didn't say it

sooner and people on the right were mad that I said it in the first place. It was definitely a

turning point for me. And I think for me, the issue was the difference between saying something that

could be construed as being racist like there were people on good people on both sides. And maybe

thinking afterwards, oh, shit, I can see how that would be racist. Maybe I shouldn't say that.

And I was hoping that he wouldn't say it again, but he said it. He went back into his office,

someone told him that wasn't a good thing to say. You shouldn't say it. And then his dumbass

came out two days later and said it again. And it's one thing to make a mistake and not repeat

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