Madonna
Madonna REUTERS

Madonna is in the headlines once again for some shocking antics she pulled at a recent concert, but this time it’s her political statements that have some people scratching their heads.

During her performance Monday night at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., as part of her MDNA tour, the 54-year-old pop singer took a break between songs to urge fans to vote for Barack Obama in the upcoming presidential election. But her endorsement left some audience members confused.

Madonna spoke of the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr., saying that they did not die in vain because “we now have an African American in the White House.” After receiving a round of applause from the audience, she continued. “They fought for our freedom. Not just African Americans, but for all people of color. Or people who are different, unconventional; for people who want to believe in what they want to believe.”

After even more applause, Madonna added, “So y’all better vote for f—king Obama, ok? For better or worse, we have a black Muslim in the White House. Now that’s some amazing s—t! It means there is hope in this country. And Obama is fighting for gay rights, OK? So support the man, goddammit!"

Madonna’s comment of course referred to the false rumor, started by Birther candidate Andy Martin, that Obama is secretly a Muslim. AlthoughPresident Obama has consistently maintained that he is a practicing Christian, approximately 17 percent of Americans believe that he is a Muslim, according to a study by the Pew Research Center published in July. The study states that, “Currently, 17% of registered voters say that Obama is Muslim; 49% say he is Christian, while 31% say they do not know Obama’s religion.”

But there is a lingering debate over whether or not Madonna’s comments were made in jest. News sources who reported the incident including Politico and CBS News called the singer’s remarks “mistaken,” while the Atlantic Wire seemed undecided about whether it was simply a poorly delivered joke.

This is not the first time Madonna has publicly endorsed President Obama. Two weeks ago, at another show, she announced to an audience at Yankee Stadium, "I've seen some scary things. I've seen people being locked up and put in jail for speaking their minds, for being gay, for not practicing the right religion, for not dressing the proper way."

"Yeah, it's scary. But what it made me realize is how lucky I am to be living here in America. It doesn't mean that this is the perfect country. We have a long way to go,” she added, before taking off her shirt to reveal that she had painted the word “OBAMA” on her back.

To see footage of Madonna's comments during her performance, view the clip below.