Neil Young is once again taking shots at U.S. President Donald Trump, calling the American government “out of control” and suggesting that the country is at risk of “martial law” in a statement shared on his website this week.
“Our country and our way of life, that which our fathers and theirs fought for, is now threatened by our government,” Young declared in a post titled “WAKE UP AMERICA,” though he did not mention any government policy in particular. “Our government is out of control, not standing for us.”
Young is set to embark on a world tour with his new band the Chrome Hearts later this month. In his post, he said that his shows will not be political, but also acknowledged the fraught political situation in the U.S.
“When I tour the USA this summer, if there is not martial law by then which would make it impossible, let’s all come together and stand for American values,” Young’s statement said.
However, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer did appear to offer Trump an olive branch of sorts: “President Trump, you are invited. Come and hear our music just as you did for decades,” Young wrote, making reference to the fact that the president was a self-proclaimed fan before their relationship deteriorated in recent years.
Last month, Young also came to the defence of Bruce Springsteen, another rock star who has drawn the ire of Trump in recent weeks for publicly criticizing the administration.
“Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America,” Young wrote on his website on May 20 in a post titled “TRUMP!!!” “You worry about that instead of the dyin’ kids in Gaza. That’s your problem.”
The feud between Young and Trump: a timeline
Young, 79, was born in Canada, but has lived south of the border for decades (he officially became a U.S. citizen in 2020). As an artist and an activist, Young has never shied away from politics and has thrown constant barbs at Trump since he launched his political career in the mid-2010s.
In 2015, Young spoke out against Trump’s use of the 1990 single “Rockin’ in the Free World,” after the song accompanied Trump’s announcement of his presidential campaign. In 2020, Young sued Trump’s re-election campaign for copyright infringement, saying he doesn’t want his music used as a theme song for a “divisive un-American campaign of ignorance and hate.”
After Trump was elected for the first time, Young penned an open letter calling Trump a “disgrace” and “the worst president in the history of our great country.”
Young has also been a vocal critic of Trump’s tariffs targeting Canada and his threats of annexation. In April, he attended a protest against Trump’s threats in Los Angeles, where he was spotted holding up a sign that read, “HANDS OFF CANADA.”
Young and the Chrome Hearts
Earlier this year, Young announced that he is releasing a new protest album with a newly assembled band called the Chrome Hearts, which includes guitarist Micah Nelson, bassist Corey McCormick, drummer Anthony Logerfo and organist Spooner Oldham. Titled “Talkin to the Trees,” the album’s first single is about electric cars, and takes a shot at Tesla CEO and Trump ally Elon Musk.
Young and the Chrome Hearts will perform in Toronto at the Budweiser Stage on Aug. 17.
