Dave Matthews Condemns Trump Admin and ICE After Minneapolis Shooting

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Dave Matthews Speaks Out Against the Trump Administration and ICE

In a powerful video message released on the official social channels of the Dave Matthews Band, singer Dave Matthews expressed his outrage over the recent events involving the Trump administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The video was recorded on the singer’s birthday and features his strong words against the current political climate.

Matthews began by expressing gratitude for his community and neighbors. “I think about how lucky I’ve been in my life, here in this land,” he said. “And so, then I think about the way I repay it, and the way I repay it is with taxes. They can raise my taxes, as far as I’m concerned.”

However, he quickly added a significant caveat. “But – big but, big juicy but – that’s if they spend my taxes on bridges and the national parks and maintaining the highways, the libraries, raising the minimum wage, paying nurses, free university for people who can’t afford it, free healthcare, things that are reasonable. School lunches for god’s sakes.”

Concerns About Tax Dollars

Matthews then turned his attention to what he believes should not be funded by tax dollars. “I don’t want my taxes to go toward invading foreign countries over false premises, kidnapping presidents to steal their natural resources and threatening to do it to other countries, claiming somehow sovereign nations belong to us,” he said, calling the current administration “entitled and revolting.”

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He also criticized ICE, stating, “I don’t want my taxes to pay for ICE, to masked thugs to roam our streets and terrorize our communities and rip families apart. We should be taking care of each other. We should be minding each other. We should be housing the homeless. We shouldn’t be, you know, throwing people to the ground.”

The Tragedy of Renee Nicole Good

The singer then addressed the tragic death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman who was shot and killed by a masked ICE agent in Minneapolis. “Which brings me to Renee Nicole Good. Murdered in front of her fellow citizens in Minneapolis, murdered in the streets,” Matthews said.

He emphasized the importance of watching the videos of the incident. “No matter what narrative this administration is trying to sell us, we can see the videos,” he said. “Maybe if they show you one and they slow it down and they tell you where to look, you might think, maybe there’s a chance, maybe there’s a chance that the gunman was felt threatened. But from most angles, near and far, it looks like she was trying to get away, and he shot her three times in the head, murdered in cold blood.”

Criticism of the Administration

Matthews continued to express his frustration with the administration’s response to the shooting. “This administration, these people who are trying to tell us not to believe what we see. It is so horrific. I don’t understand how you can claim that [Good] was ramming their cars, or that she was attacking them. There’s nothing to suggest that. And it’s mind-boggling and it’s deeply upsetting. To me and to so many people, and we can’t just let it slide.”

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He went on to name high-ranking members of the Trump administration, calling them “just deeply, deeply dishonest people. Cowardly, shameful. f**k them. They are revolting.”

Closing Remarks

Matthews concluded his video message with a powerful statement that resonates with many artists and activists. “These are dark times. f**k ICE.” His words reflect the growing discontent among those who feel the current administration is failing to protect and serve the people of the United States.