Jane Nam
Fri, June 3, 2022
K-pop sensations BTS reportedly paid out of pocket for their trip to the White House to meet with President Biden to discuss anti-Asian hate.
Washington Post contributor Soo Youn posted the news on Twitter on Tuesday.
“Oh, I asked if BTS paid for the trip or the WH paid and it was BTS. They paid their own way, this was something they wanted to do, per WH sources,” she wrote.
It came as no surprise to many netizens, who exclaimed the members were genuinely outstanding people.
“Absolutely not surprising they turned the offer down. WH uses taxpayer money for everything and the group cares deeply about the issue they were asked to speak on and would pay for it themselves,” one Twitter user wrote in a post that has garnered over 1,200 likes.
“As expected! they have been doing this (not the first time) for trips/causes they genuinely care about,” reiterated another netizen.
All seven members of BTS met with President Biden at the White House on Tuesday, the last day of AAPI Heritage Month, to discuss anti-Asian hate and issues of diversity and inclusion more broadly.
Netizens were thrilled by the fact that the Grammy-nominated boy band convinced America’s commander-in-chief to do a finger heart gesture during the landmark visit.
BTS has been known to donate generously to charitable causes, giving millions to anti-violence and anti-bullying campaigns.
While BTS’ visit was based on invitation, it is unclear whether the White House offered accommodations or any financial compensation for the event.
Featured Image via Washington Post
Tucker Carlson Mocks BTS For Speaking Out Against Anti-Asian Hate Crimes
Tucker Carlson seems to have something against a popular Korean boy band combining forces with the White House to denounce anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S.
The Fox News host mocked the Biden administration and BTS Tuesday after the K-pop mega stars, who have millions of fans in the U.S. and around the world, appeared at the White House to raise awareness and speak out about the rise in hate crimes and discrimination against Asian Americans in recent years.
“Things have gotten very bad for Joe Biden, both public-facing and internally. What are they doing about it? Well, they broke glass in case of emergency and invited a Korean pop group to speak at the White House today,” Carlson said, airing footage from the appearance.
“Yeah, so we got a Korean pop group to discuss anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States. Okay. Good job, guys.”
The Biden administration has been working to address the surge in violence against Asian Americans since last year. In May 2021, the president signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law, after a white shooter killed eight people — including six Asian women — at a massage spa in Georgia in March.
Carlson’s show was named “what may be the most racist show in the history of cable news” in a recent New York Times investigation about how the Fox News host stoked white fears and division and channeled it into ratings over the years. He has directed his vitriol at immigrants and people of color across the board.
In 2020, when advocates warned that former President Donald Trump’s racist names for the coronavirus were stoking anti-Asian hate, Carlson defended the president for doing so.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
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