Music stars took to social media on Wednesday to condemn pro-Trump rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol while lawmakers were formalizing Joe Biden’s election victory.
“These are TERRORISTS. This is armed insurrection,” tweeted Paul Stanley of KISS. “The flames were fanned today & over time by the president & specific senators who CANNOT be allowed now to distance from or denounce what they have directly caused. Know their names. THIS is the result of their deception. Shame.”
P!nk shared: “As a United States Citizen, and the daughter of two veterans, and the sister of another, I am ashamed of what is happening in Washington. Hypocrisy, shame, Embarrassment. Unpatriotic hypocritical sheep drinking poison Kool aid. This a sad day for America.”
Country singer Maren Morris said it will be “hard to shake” the events for the day. “Something my WW2 fighting Paw-Paw never told me about, something my parents never had to go through... thinking about how I will tell my son about this one day.”
Tim McGraw called it “a terribly sad day for America, a terribly sad day for leadership.”
YUNGBLUD called the insurgency "so sad” and “truly heartbreaking.”
MORE: Iced Earth Singer Jon Schaffer Among U.S. Capitol Rioters
Many artists blamed U.S. president Donald Trump for fanning the flames with his lies and conspiracy theories about widespread election fraud – a grift targeted at the very people who support him.
“Guns drawn INSIDE the Capitol. Trump did this, his party inflamed it,” fumed Tom DeLonge. Halsey tweeted “When is enough enough? Impeach him. We are long past the luxury of making it a conversation…”
Hip hop icon Chuck D called Trump a “spoiled brat , sore loser , a kid that threatens to take the ball home because the game didn’t go his way.”
Stevie Wonder opined it was time to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office before the end of his term. “Isn’t it obvious? Today has made me sad with disbelief with what is happening in my country, a country that has inspired my songs of hope and love,” he tweeted. “I am heartbroken and astounded that this narcissistic and dangerous president would put lives in danger and encourage violent sedition against our government.
“That man is no longer able to serve as President because he can’t accept defeat. Can we afford 2 more weeks? I say NO!”
The irony is pretty funny.........weren’t people just wild animals in the summer for demanding justice and now?......Let me just watch.
— iamcardib (@iamcardib) January 6, 2021
Here’s a looter stealing a podium from inside the U.S. Capitol and not getting shot, tear gassed, or thrown in an unmarked police van. #MakesYaThink pic.twitter.com/LX6PVddqCe
— Tom Morello (@tmorello) January 6, 2021
Selena Gomez addressed her comments to executives at major social media platforms. “Today is the result of allowing people with hate in their hearts to use platforms that should be used to bring people together and allow people to build community,” she wrote. “Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Jack Dorsey, Sundar Pichal, Susan Wojcicki — you have all failed the American people today, and I hope you’re going to fix things going forward.”
(Facebook/Instagram and Twitter temporarily froze Trump’s accounts.)
As the rampage was happening, Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee tweeted at Trump to reign in his motley crew of supporters. “Tell you[r] covidiots to go home…its a wrap, ya’ll lost, GTFOH!! and while you’re at it YOU get the f**k outta here too before people get seriously hurt!”
Rapper QTip described the goons who breached the Capitol as “jelly-brained and candy-hearted pieces of privilege n unfounded mysterious conspiracy.”
“At the end of it all, these MAGA morons were exactly to our democratic process what they are in their bedrooms. Impotent and inconsequential,” tweeted singer Richard Marx.
that’s enough i’m stepping in pic.twitter.com/a4dKFdjLgE
— nope (@LilNasX) January 6, 2021