Green Day singer Billie Joe Armstrong has joined the rising chorus or people protesting President Donald Trump's executive action on immigration, calling the "extreme vetting" order part of an "all out assault on civil liberties." In a lengthy Instagram post on Sunday (Jan. 29), Armstrong railed against the series of executive actions Trump has taken, saying they make him feel like the nation is under assault.
"I feel like I'm in a state of shock," wrote Armstrong. "The executive orders Trump is signing feels like a vendetta.. Trump is not only taking out his revenge on the people who protested him, but also the average American that just didn't vote for him." Armstrong's reaction came as a rising tide of outrage spread across the nation following Trump's signing of an executive order on immigration on Friday that effectively banned people from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for the next three months. Due to the hasty nature of the action a number of people with valid green cards were also caught in limbo at airports.
Armstrong's post came amid a flood of pushback protests online and on the ground at airports around the nation, with musicians, actors, activists and civil liberties experts decrying the action as un-American and potentially illegal. Over the weekend there were harsh anti-Trump posts from Queens of the Stone Age singer Josh Homme, as well as comments from Blink 182’s Mark Hoppus, Chuck D, Josh Groban, Nancy Sinatra and a number of winners and attendees at Sunday night's (Jan. 29) SAG Awards. On Saturday (Jan. 28), a federal judge in New York temporarily blocked part of Trump's order, ruling that authorities couldn't remove individuals from the seven affected countries who had already arrived at U.S. airports after the order had been issued.
"These reckless decisions on healthcare, muslim-americans, immigration, environmental protection, freedom of speech, freedom of press, women's right to choose what to do with their bodies, suggesting sending in the feds to Chicago .. are signs of a man that is trying to redefine what it is that keeps our common union as Americans," Armstrong continued. "This is not just his 'conservative agenda.' It's an all out assault on our civil liberties. His intention is to divide us as Americans. Maybe we don't agree on all of these issues.. But can't we see eye to eye on some?"
Though Armstrong said his group's latest album, Revolution Radio, was not intended as another concept album-style screed against the politics of division, the band has nonetheless made their view crystal clear over the past few months. In November they added the chant "No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA" during an appearance at the American Music Awards and the video for their latest single, "Troubled Times," is a clear call-to-action against the Celebrity Apprentice host turned commander in chief.
"Isn't this about freedom and unity?" Armstrong asked, pleading for compassion and respect. "I don't think this president has a grasp on the concept of the American dream."
Trump's action has also drawn protest from a number of major tech companies, including Google, Apple and Netflix, whose leaders had strong reactions over the weekend to the order that bars entry for anyone from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, ostensibly to prevent extremists from carrying out attacks on U.S. soil. It also was rejected by a number of leaders across the globe, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UK PM Theresa May and several high-ranking members of Trump's Republican party, including Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham.
As the Huffington Post reported this weekend, there have been no terror attacks on U.S soil since 1975 by immigrants from the seven nations included in Trump's action. In fact, according to a recently released report, Muslim Americans with family backgrounds tied to those nations have also resulted in zero American deaths over the past 15 years. Several reports have also noted that none of the 19 plane hijackers who took part in the 9/11 attacks were from those nations.
See what he twitted:
i feel like I'm in a state of shock.. The executive orders Trump is signing feels like a vendetta.. Trump is not only taking out his revenge on the people who protested him, but also the average American that just didn't vote for him. These reckless decisions on healthcare, muslim-americans, immigration, environmental protection, freedom of speech, freedom of press, women's right to choose what to do with their bodies, suggesting sending in the feds to Chicago .. are signs of a man that is trying to redefine what it is that keeps our common union as Americans.. This is not just his "conservative agenda." It's an all out assault on our civil liberties. His intention is to divide us as Americans. Maybe we don't agree on all of these issues.. But can't we see eye to eye on some? I have conservative/republican friends and family.. I understand their point of view even if I don't agree with it. It's their right. It's their beliefs. However the progressive side is just as "American" as the other side. At what point do we all come together as "Americans". Isn't this about freedom and unity? I don't think this president has a grasp on the concept of the American dream.. the dream that we come from different backgrounds to come together. Please respect each other. Please show compassion. Please don't allow this madman to take out his revenge.... on US respect BJ.
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