Musician Neil Young has published an editorial on the Times Contrarian section of his website, expressing criticism of US President Donald Trump and his administration. The editorial also included a call for US citizens to engage in peaceful protests.
Editorial Content and Criticisms
In his piece, Young described the USA as a "disaster" and stated that President Trump was "dismantling the country." He attributed this to staff and leaders he characterized as inexperienced and prioritizing loyalty over competence. Young also criticized Congress, describing it as "lacking conscience," and stated that Trump was dividing the nation. He questioned the election of leaders, stating they lacked values and a clear path to improve the USA.
Young suggested that the administration's actions were intended to create instability, potentially to cancel elections and evade accountability. He urged citizens to consider Trump's slogan, "Make America Great Again," seriously. He highlighted what he described as changes under the administration, stating there was "no ICE before Trump" and "no soldiers in the streets before Trump." Young further claimed that Trump's actions were designed to foster instability to maintain power, concluding that Trump "knows nothing about love."
Call for Action
Young called for a peaceful uprising by millions, urging people to use their "love of life and one another" to act peacefully. He encouraged citizens to respond to the issues he outlined through peaceful means.
Previous Criticisms
The recent editorial followed an earlier piece by Young, in which he addressed the killing of Renee Nicole Good by a US immigration agent in Minneapolis on January 7, referring to immigration agents as "thugs." In that same piece, he also criticized the administration's comments regarding the acquisition of Greenland and changes in military leadership positions involving women and people of color.
Young has previously expressed criticism of Donald Trump's presidency, including in August with the release of his song "Big Crime." Lyrics from the song include lines such as "Got to get the fascists out, Got to clean the White House out, Don’t want soldiers on our streets, There’s big crime in DC at the White House."