Shania Twain has apologized after admitting she would have cast a ballot for Donald Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
“I would have voted for him because, even though he was offensive, he seemed honest,” Twain told The Guardian.
“Do you want straight or polite? Not that you shouldn't be able to have both. If I were voting, I just don't want bulls**t. I would have voted for a feeling that it was transparent. And politics has a reputation of not being that, right?”
Twain’s comments sparked outrage, especially since Trump is demonstrably a pathological liar who has targeted minorities and objectified women.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, the singer apologized. “The question caught me off guard. As a Canadian, I regret answering this unexpected question without giving my response more context,” Twain tweeted.
“I am passionately against discrimination of any kind and hope it’s clear from the choices I have made, and the people I stand with, that I do not hold any common moral beliefs with the current President.”
Twain, who was born and raised in Ontario, added: “I was trying to explain, in response to a question about the election, that my limited understanding was that the President talked to a portion of America like an accessible person they could relate to, as he was NOT a politician.
“My answer was awkward, but certainly should not be taken as representative of my values nor does it mean I endorse him. I make music to bring people together. My path will always be one of inclusivity, as my history shows.”
Twain kicks off her summer tour on May 3.