Joy Villa, the singer who wore a Make America Great Again-themed dress to the 2017 Grammy Awards, announced Wednesday she has launched an exploratory committee for a congressional run for the state of Florida.
“I’m looking from everywhere from Jacksonville all the way down to Miami,” Villa told Fox News. “Right now we are looking to all the areas. We are polling. We are seeing what’s going to work. And hoping to scare some of those rhinos that are there to watch their back.”
Villa, 31, had said in October that if she chose to run, she would advocate for the same policies President Trump supports.
“Have you looked at Congress lately? In the news, we see that they’re getting nothing done. They are a house of cards that is tumbling. I mean, healthcare reform they couldn’t get done. Immigration they can’t get done. They are not working with the president, which means we need to put new people in, we need to vote fresh blood,” Villa said Wednesday.
Villa added that White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump recently encouraged her to pursue a political office.
“I was at the White House the other night. And I got to see the president at the White House Christmas party. Ivanka actually pulled me aside and said, ‘I really want you to run. We need more strong women to back up, you know, what America needs,'” Villa said. “So it’s looking good. This congressional possibility is looking more and more like a reality. And I’m proud to dive into it.”
Trump in October praised Villa’s initial consideration to get into politics.
“Good luck to @Joy_Villa on her decision to enter the wonderful world of politics. She has many fans!” Trump wrote.
Villa said she is planning to release her second album before launching a campaign.
