Neil Young calls Trump 'a disgrace to the country' in open letter, throws support behind Bernie Sanders
Neil Young expressed his disapproval of President Donald Trump in an open letter that he published on his website on Tuesday, February 18.
The 74-year-old rocker penned the letter addressing the president, saying: "You are a disgrace to my country.”
Young used the letter to tell Trump that he admired former president Barack Obama and that he is now throwing his support behind Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
“Your mindless destruction of our shared natural resources, our environment and our relationships with friends around the world is unforgivable. Your policies, decisions and short term thinking continue to exacerbate the Climate Crisis. Our first black president was a better man than you are,” he wrote in his letter to Trump.
“US justice is ours — not yours," he continued. "One of your opponents has answers I like. He is aiming at preserving our children’s future directly. He is not popular with the democratic establishment because unlike all the other candidates, he is not pandering to the industries accelerating Earth’s Climate Disaster, the end of the world as we know it. He is truly fighting for the USA."
"His initials are BS (Bernie Sanders). Not his policies. We are going to vote you out and Make America Great Again," he added.
Young also complained about Trump playing his music at his 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.”
The 'Southern Cross' hitmaker took issue with presidential candidate Trump in 2015 over the use of his song "Rockin’ in the Free World.”
But Trump's campaign responded at the time saying the song was already paid for.
"Through a licensing agreement with ASCAP, Mr. Trump’s campaign paid for and obtained the legal rights to use Neil Young’s recording of ‘Rockin' In The Free World,'" Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski had told Fox News at the time. "Nevertheless, there are plenty of other songs to choose from. Despite Neil’s differing political views, Mr. Trump likes him very much.”
“DT does not have my permission to use the song ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ at his appearances,” Young once again bemoaned in 2018, per Rolling Stone. “Legally, he has the right to, however, it goes against my wishes.”
Last month, Young, who originally hails from Canada, revealed he's now a citizen of the United States. He now plans to use his new status to vote for the Democrats, Fox News reports.