Diamond & Silk are two African-American women (sisters) who get paid to spout the craziest Republican talking points. Blonde women have been getting paid to do the same for decades, but there’s a cottage industry for people of color willing to act as props to the GOP. Diamond & Silk have been elevated by Donald Trump and his administration for years. Trump gladly poses with them and invites them to his Nazi rallies and he uses them as props to show that his supporters are not exclusively Nazis and white supremacists. There’s a problem though! That problem is that Diamond & Silk are idiots and they’re crazy as f–k. They’ve used the pandemic to spread some of the most batsh-t insane conspiracies, and now even FOX NEWS is pulling them off their airwaves. LOL.
Fox News has cut ties with MAGA vlogging superstars Diamond & Silk, who had contributed original content to the network’s streaming service Fox Nation since shortly after its late 2018 launch. The sudden split comes after the Trump-boosting siblings have come under fire for promoting conspiracy theories and disinformation about the coronavirus. “After what they’ve said and tweeted you won’t be seeing them on Fox Nation or Fox News anytime soon,” a source with knowledge of the matter told The Daily Beast.
After rising to prominence during the 2016 election, Lynette “Diamond” Hardaway and Rochelle “Silk” Richardson leveraged their newfound celebrity into regular sycophantic appearances on Fox News, resulting in President Donald Trump raving about their performances, featuring them at rallies, and treating them as “senior advisers.” The social-media personalities were eventually tapped to provide weekly videos for Fox Nation after it launched as a subscription-based online video network. Their episodes, essentially 5-7 minute distillations of their freeform live-streams, appeared like clockwork on the streaming service until earlier this month.
No new episodes of their online program have been uploaded since April 7, as CNN senior media reporter Oliver Darcy first noted over the weekend. Prior to this month, the duo never missed a week posting episodes since December 2018. The sisters’ Fox guest spots have also dried up recently. According to a search of TVEyes, a cable-news monitoring system, Diamond & Silk haven’t appeared on the network since a March 6 interview on Fox & Friends and a March 7 hit on the now-defunct Fox Business Network show hosted by Trish Regan, who was also ditched by Fox after her own comments calling the pandemic an “impeachment scam.”
Diamond & Silk have used their heavy social-media presence to be at the forefront of right-wing misinformation about the COVID-19 outbreak. For instance, during their March 30 livestream, the duo claimed that the number of American coronavirus deaths has been inflated to make Trump look bad.
The Daily Beast cataloged some of Diamond & Silk’s coronavirus greatest hits, which included (but was not limited to): claiming that New Yorkers haven’t really been dying and that the death toll is a conspiracy involving the state government, morgues, funeral homes, etc; claiming that coronavirus is being “deliberately spread”; claiming that coronavirus is “man-made” and “engineered” by the deep state; claiming that WHO could turn off the pandemic with a switch; claiming that quarantines will make people sick; claiming that Bill Gates’ work on a vaccine is somehow suspicious and linked to “population control”; and finally, claiming that the virus is somehow linked to 5G technology. Can you imagine how f–king nutty you have to be for Fox News to pull the plug? What’s worse is that I’d be willing to bet that Trump actually believes in half of these conspiracies, so he’ll probably call up Fox News and tell them to bring back Diamond & Silk.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Getty.
Does that mean Candace Owens is the only pro Trump African American woman left at Fox?
No, I think that other chick with the weird name is still on there. Hadley or Harrison or something. She is part of the nutcase brigade too, unfortunately.
These two seem to have tried to rip off “Frangela” an incredibly funny duo. Their pod cast ” the final word” is one of the things giving me life right now, along with this site! Information with humor and appropriate outrage is much better than news.
I love Frangela! So funny.
I will have to check out their podcast. I am familiar with Frangela from listening to the Stephanie Miller show.
That was my connection too Tate!
Love that show, JanetDR! So many dark days since Election Day 2016. The crew at the Stephanie Miller show helped get through some tough times.
My take; cheeto doesn’t believe anything other than there is sucker born every minute.
He often takes both sides of an argument just so he can say he was right all along.
Exactly, that’s why he said states need to figure out reopening and then tweeted all of those liberation tweets.
thoughts and prayers
Jeez I knew they were nutbags but your reveals are gobsmacking. Good riddance!
I gotta say I thought that these two were just regular old grifters (they were registered Democrats until 2015) but the virus stuff made me realize that they are grifters but also crazy.
I think Trump must be paying them big time. I bet family picnics are interesting for them, unless they are the ones buying all the food.
Exactly I always thought they were punking him
I just read about their family a bit, and I’d say the crazy grifter thing is genetic.
Faux News have a lot of lawsuits coming their way, these two along with that other woman who I can’t think of will not be the last. The big hit is going to be who they will get rid of first, Hannity or Carlson.
That’s good news! They should be sued out of existence.
Can Ingraham be in the mix too please?
If only. Faux News has become a cancer and now they could be causing actual death spreading misinformation about the virus. Especially if this “refuse the vaccine “ movement takes hold because of them.
Here’s the conspiracy theory I have seen floated by at least 2 people I used to be FB friend with: Bill Gates created COVID19 to decrease the population. Also, the vaccine for it will have a microchip that will control people using 5G technology.
Needless to say, I am not friends with these people anymore, but this theory is out there and more popular than we would like to believe.
Omg, yes!! We must know the same idiots! I’m like, even if it’s true, are you willing to die or kill others just to stick it to him? If you get a loved one killed, or find yourself dying, is ” at least I didn’t get microchipped and didn’t support Bill Gates evil depopulation scheme” really gonna comfort you?
I told one of these reality deniers that vaccines cannot depopulate as they are to maintain the population. I got back a rant on Gates, the WHO, and UNICEF. Really?
When I hear “microchip” that’s pretty much a clue that someone is batshit.
Yep, not to mention if Bill Gates wanted is microchipped, he wouldn’t need to spend billions on a new vaccine. There’s numerous other ways he could do more cost effectively- without us even knowing.
Like seriously, if you’re gonna conspiracy theorize, do it right. These people can’t even think up properly nefarious conspiracies.
lol yeah. I mean, okay, I get being wary of a new vaccine, but not for the reasons they are.
My husband has a childhood friend who espouses these theories, and he can’t bring himself to cut her loose. It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. First, dummies, almost every single one of us ALREADY CARRIES a tracking device with us WILLINGLY virtually all day, so if they wanted to control us, guess what would be easier than a pandemic and a vaccine??? And SECOND, Bill Gates has made malaria treatment and defense his life’s work, but all of a sudden now, he’s introducing novel diseases to kill us because the old-fashioned one that already had an aggressive toehold wasn’t working well enough?? I cannot. Idiots. Pizzagate idiots.
I have seen doctors – people with actual M.D.s – shilling this 5G/Bill Gates nonsense. It’s insane because having an M.D. gives them a veil of authority through which they have small or substantial followings who are really buying into these absolutely bonkers ‘theories.’ It’s just nuts that this is where people’s minds are going during this time
If you look at @kellybroganmd on Instagram, you’ll see she’s been spouting downright nonsense, to the point of sowing some very problematic views. I had to stop checking her Insta because I was getting so angry every time I did!
What probably broke the camel’s back was a tweet (since deleted) where they advocated for people intentionally exposing themselves to the virus because being in quarantine would make you sick. That could create serious liability on Fox’s part (it may have already done so). Fox is crazy, but not crazy enough to go bankrupt for two conspiracy idiots.
For the record: Diamond & Silk are NOT crazy. They are grifters. They started their YouTube channel as black lives matter supporters. Wanting to be like that other grifter extraordinaire, Shaun King. Their channel wasnt getting views or traction. In 2016 they pivoted and became “Diamond & Silk” Trump supporters. Suddenly their channel blew up and they got even more popular when Trump started inviting them to events.
What these two failed to understand is that when you’re black – and a black woman especially – they only let you go so far with your crazy. They are pretty blondes like Megyn Kelly who can get away with saying pretty much anything on that channel. They are both sell outs and frankly I find this entire thing hilarious. I hope they never get invited back on ANY channel ever again.
Hold it, Shaun King is a grifter? I had no idea.
As for these two, I don’t know. Obviously their conspiracy theories are absolutely bananas but they’re the same crap you read all over the internet. It’s not like they were especially egregious in their crazy. But yeah, I guess when you’re black, you can’t get away with it even on Fox.
Btw, why would you name yourself Diamond & Silk if your given names are perfectly lovely?
Shaun King is VERY much a grifter.
He defines grifter.
I don’t find Shaun King to be a grifter. He calls attention to a lot of issues important to the black community. As to the rest, yes, Tomi Lauren (sp) is on all the time spewing the crazy.
There is an excellent piece on Medium by Deray McKesson which lays out everything related to Shaun King. Shaun is a grifter and liar (also probably white). Black women have been calling him out for years. I’d suggest you check it out and then reassess.
@Sam the Pink, I had no idea about Shaun King. I”m gong to read that article.
He also steals the money from all of his various “fundraiser” and has stolen the intellectual property of black female activists- numerous times. Has sent his Twitter followers to attack a black female activist who called him out on the fact that he raised money for a charity – and never actually gave it to the charity. Not to mention the next-level Bernie bro craziness he is currently engaged in. Shaun King is the definition of a grifter. And he does it all under the guise of being about “black activism”. It’s a great way to get people to not question your actual motives.
I wonder if they will end up like that other grifter Omarosa and turn on Trump in the end?
Good, go away.
Wow…
OK maybe I’m a Canadian who just doesn’t understand the dynamics happening south of the border, but I just finished reading this and the Howard Stern items and what the f*ckity f*cking f*ck?!?!?!?!? What is going on in the US? Why is ‘Murica becoming a country of such overwhelming stupidity that millions can be led around by the nose by a bunch of foaming at the mouth, sycophantic rubes???? There are so many smart people commenting on CB which is why I come here every day to get their intelligent and clear-headed views on American politics, and you all must be living in abject terror because I’m up here on Vancouver Island but I feel that terror too….no wonder I day-drink….
Hahahaha, you and me both. I’m here in Victoria. I’d be getting out the popcorn if it weren’t so inherently dangerous.
Howdy neighbour, I’m in Victoria too! *WAVES HAND*
We are a hot messy mix of crazy closed minded reactors and intelligent reflective thinkers, the middle ground is surprisingly thin. It appears that 30% is always going to be for tRump. Until they die, which they might soon based on their FB page rants.
Well, I’m in Germany and over the past few years have seen the rise and success of a new right-wing party that spouted crazy racist, misogynist, and xenophobic – not to mention anti-semitic – awfulness. You know, encouraging people to stop feeling so guilty about the Holocaust. You would THINK we know better. We don’t. People are a**holes. And they’re morons. Dangerous, dumb morons. I didn’t see this coming tbh and I always expect the worst.
the flat earth society has had a remarkable renaissance here in the US that and the fact that Trump is POTUS should tell you enough about the wide-spread lunacy we’re dealing with here
It’s not a lot of them, but they know how to use the media and the internet to get their message out. They are master marketers and they know the message they are selling as well as what their audience wants to hear. It doesn’t hurt that they linked up with the Russian government to help manipulate opinion as well. And don’t think that can’t happen in Canada or anywhere else, this movement has some long tentacles.
That’s what I’m afraid of…..
Omg, it all makes sense now. I live in Austin and I keep seeing people on the local FB page spouting all of those theories and had no idea where they were getting such bizarre ideas, but now I realize it was coming from Diamond and Silk. Crazy!
A theory I read was that somehow the government wanted to cull the population with the virus and whoever was left would be given the vaccine, which would have a chip linked to AI tech so we could all be controlled. My husband works in AI and is having enough trouble just getting the processors to run fast enough, he doesn’t need the added stress of controlling a population thank you very much.
That, and social media. I’ve seen people who I thought were smart enough to know better forwarding around absolute nonsense. And the few times I’ve responded with some actual, easily findable science, mostly because I want to stop them from spreading stupid and/or dangerous stuff, they’re like, mm, it’s still debatable. NO IT’S NOT.
I think some POCs spouting MAGA lines for a living are very sincere. They don’t see themselves as props and they would find it racially insensitive to imply their perspectives are only being played because of their race.
Discussing POCs who support Trump can turn into white people saying, “I know what’s best for [insert minority group].”
That said, Fox News uses POCs and women as props.
There are a lot of POC advocating for Trump. It’s maddening because a lot only do it because they get permission to hate some other group. Most MAGAts are racist; the POC are either bigots (Islamaphobes or homo/transphobes). Then they claim they’re “independent” thinkers to boot.
There are not “a lot” of people of color advocating for Donald Trump. There are a minuscule number of high profile examples, all of whom are also involved in far-right conspiracy theory and grift culture—Candace Owen, Diamond and Silk and David Clarke, are the only ones that come immediately to mind.
Trump’s approval rating with African-Americans has never been higher than the mid-teens (at best), and his approval rating with women of color in particular is, and always has been, in the single digits. There is no universe where that is “a lot.”
I don’t claim to speak for all people of color, but I think using the word “lot” is a big stretch. Unless “lot” means almost no one who is not somehow on Trump’s payroll or benefiting from being part of his dysfunctional administration. Some people are willing to get behind almost anything if they think there’s something in it for them.
$5 says he doesn’t know which one is Diamond and which one is Silk.
*dead* 🤣
They were born into the grift. Their parents are “televangelists” who sell bogus miracle cures and talismans to ward off witchcraft. This is true.
source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/diamond-and-silk-how-two-small-town-north-carolina-sisters-found-fame-as-trump-fans/2018/04/26/1de3f50a-4723-11e8-9072-f6d4bc32f223_story.html
Not surprising. A lot of the mouthpieces of the Tea Party movement and other so called “Christian conservatives” came from the world of televangelism. A lot of them were looking for a way to turn it into a political movement and get around the separation of church and state. They already own a lot of media outlets or are media savvy as far as how to market to their particular audience.
How batshi** crazy to you have to be for Faux News to dump you?? Meh, these two make me ill.
I’m black, and I cannot with these women. Those delusional women. Trump doesn’t even like black people. I can’t imagine getting that close to a man whom I’d KNOW was just thinking I was an ugly piece of shit from a shit hole country.
Haha this is because Murdoch corporation is being sued big time by scientists, activists and families of deceased who died after taking one of their weird conspiracy treatments
https://www.bylineinvestigates.com/murdoch/2020/4/8/fake-news-suit-murdoch-sued-over-fox-corona-hoax
There was an article about these two dubious women in the Washington Post back in the early period of Drumpf’s administration. They are problematic to say the least. Be grateful you don’t live in their town.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/diamond-and-silk-how-two-small-town-north-carolina-sisters-found-fame-as-trump-fans/2018/04/26/1de3f50a-4723-11e8-9072-f6d4bc32f223_story.html