Barbra Streisand, the 81-year-old treasure wasnât meaning to be a Funny Girl when she said, âYes, Mr. Trump, letâs make America great again. But first, get one thing straight: America was great â before you were elected.â
The long-time Democratic supporter and fundraiser isnât shy over expressing her dislike of the former president and has called him âthe Liar in Chief, the Groper in Chief.â
In 2018, the EGOT (she holds an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) released her 36th album, âWalls,â inspired by the reality show star turned President of the United States.
Speaking with Associated Press about the song, she said, âI wanted to talk about the things that were making me feel so sad, heartbroken.â Streisand continues, âI just canât stand whatâs going on. His assault on our democracy, our institutions, our founders â I think weâre in a fightâŚWeâre in a war for the soul of America.â
The Grammy-nominated album â a musical homage to Trumpâs tyranny â includes songs like âDonât Lie to Me,â which Streisand explains was motivated by the news that made her âsick, listening to lies, listening to things that are such craziness.â
âI canât stand being lied to, and I donât think the country should be lied to either.â She then quips, âAnd I just couldnât comprehend how he could tell all these lies with absolutely no guilt (clearly heâs not Jewish.)â
âArt is the enemy of tyrantsâ
Explaining why sheâs compelled to be politically involved, Streisand sounds off on the friction between politicians and artists in her 2023 memoir, âMy Name is Barbra.â
âWhy does it make so many people angry when artists speak out?â Babs asks. âArtists, Streisand said, can serve as âa countryâs conscience.â Their work gives us a reflection of the times, and sometimes they challenge us to see what others would prefer to ignore. They can give voice to the voiceless, by speaking up when no one else will.â
She adds, âThatâs why art is the enemy of tyrants and dictators.â
Offering her powerful voice unfortunately didnât sway the voting population.