Canada-Born Rock Legend Neil Young Rips Trump: 'You Are a Disgrace to My Country'
Rock legend Neil Young penned an open letter to President Donald Trump criticizing him and voicing his support for former President Barack Obama and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The Canadian-born singer revealed last month that he has become a United States citizen and plans to vote as a Democrat in the 2020 election, Fox News reported.
Young opened his letter to Trump by writing, “You are a disgrace to my country.”
“Your mindless destruction of our shared natural resources, our environment and our relationships with friends around the world is unforgivable,” he wrote. “Your policies, decisions and short term thinking continue to exacerbate the Climate Crisis.”
He praised Obama, saying “our first black president was a better man than you are” and giving him credit for Trump’s successful economy.
Young also echoed his displeasure with Trump playing his music at rallies.
“Every time ‘Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World’ or one of my songs is played at your rallies, I hope you hear my voice,” he wrote.
“Remember it is the voice of a tax-paying US citizen who does not support you. Me.”
Young has previously complained about Trump using his 1989 classic song in 2015 when he was a candidate.
Although Young admitted in 2018 Trump legally had the right to play the song, he said “it goes against my wishes,” according to Rolling Stone.
“Through a licensing agreement with ASCAP, Mr. Trump’s campaign paid for and obtained the legal right to use Neil Young’s recording of ‘Rockin’ In The Free World,'” then-Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told Fox News after Young complained in 2015.
“Nevertheless, there are plenty of other songs to choose from. Despite Neil’s differing political views, Mr. Trump likes him very much.”
Young ended his open letter in support of Sanders’ candidacy.
“One of your opponents has the answers I like. He is aiming at preserving our children’s future directly,” he wrote.
“He is not popular with the democratic establishment because unlike the other candidates, he is not pandering to the industries accelerating Earth’s Climate Disaster, the end of the world as we know it.”
The singer then turned Trump’s slogan against him and wrote, “We are going to vote you out and Make America Great Again.”
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