Rock icon Neil Young is having second thoughts about suing President Donald Trump.
Young said earlier this month that he wouldn’t file legal action over Trump’s repeated unauthorized use of his music at campaign events because he didn’t want to distract the president from doing his job.
But in an open letter published on his website Sunday, Young said he was now “reconsidering” and “looking at it again” because of Trump’s order deploying militarized federal agents against social justice protesters in Portland, Oregon, and other cities.
Young, a longtime critic of the president, described Trump’s actions as “a complete disgrace, the way he plays citizens against one another for his own political gain.”
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“When the states asked for help with Covid 19, the president did not give it. He said he’s not responsible,” the musician continued. “When they said don’t bring military to our streets ― we don’t need that, he did it anyway for his own political reasons ― not for America.”
He added: “This rogue president is creating a much worse problem with his street thug army of uniformed hatred. Imagine what it feels like to hear ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ after this President speaks, like it is his theme song. I did not write it for that.”
Three of Young’s songs were played during Trump’s Independence Day celebration at Mount Rushmore, prompting Young to tweet: “This is NOT ok with me…” and update his 2006 song “Lookin’ For A Leader” with a dig at the president.
The Canada-born rocker is a newly minted U.S. citizen living in California.
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