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Neil Young has drawn attention to the worsening political climate and the disintegration of American democracy with a video.
In the clip he posted on October 29th published in his “Neil Young Archives”.he focuses on the actions of US President Donald Trump.
Images of a crumbling democracy
Young, who has repeatedly positioned himself as an opponent of Trump, shows a collage of images and news footage from the past week in the video entitled “As Time Explodes”. You can see, among other things, photos of demonstration banners with inscriptions such as “1% rule the world” or “If you can rent Venice for your wedding, you can pay more tax” – an allusion to tech giants like Jeff Bezos.
The video also shows recordings of the demolition of the East Wing of the White House, which Trump ordered, and Elon Musk with a saw on stage. News sequences criticize Trump’s reception of a gifted Qatari plane, the unconstitutional deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles and the US Marine Corps’ anniversary celebration in which artillery was fired over a highway in California. Also shown is a post from Senator Scott Wiener: “The oligarchs gather & so starts the looting of America.”
Shrapnel and demolition in the White House
The background to the footage from Neil Young’s video is the current news situation in the USA: A live artillery grenade exploded prematurely at a celebration by the US military with activated weapons. It was fired over an active Southern California highway to mark the 250th anniversary of the US Marine Corps. According to the police report, shrapnel rained down on a California Highway Patrol (CHP) vehicle and a motorcycle that was part of JD Vance’s escort team.
The New York Times reported that shell fragments fell on all vehicles parked on an on-ramp to Interstate 5, a major artery through Southern California. The fact that no one was hurt was because the stretch of highway had been closed at short notice – a closure that the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, had personally ordered after being informed that the federal authorities themselves had no plans to close the highway to artillery fire.
There was sharp criticism from Trump opponents for the threat to the public posed by the military demonstration – as well as for Trump’s decision to have the East Wing of the White House demolished. News footage shows that all that remains of the east wing is now rubble. The demolition is intended to make room for the “Golden Ballroom” that Trump has long wanted. This sparked cross-party outrage, which Neil Young visualizes in his video.
Videos of the “No Kings” protests
The video ends with footage of the “No Kings” protests in numerous American cities, where people are rising up against their president’s perceived dictatorial policies. With images of protest signs, Young points to the need to stand up for democracy and the constitution.
The musician has spoken out against Donald Trump several times and expressed his concern that the president is threatening the very foundations of American democracy. He recently released another protest song against the 79-year-old. The song “Big Crime” was released on September 4th on all streaming services. Young and his band Chrome Hearts had previously played the piece for the first time at the end of August during a sound check for a concert at the Huntington Bank Pavilion in Chicago.
Young wrote several protest songs against Trump
In “Big Crime,” Young criticizes, among other things, Trump’s influence on the Washington administration and the deployment of the National Guard. “We don’t need fascist rule / We don’t want fascist schools / We don’t want soldiers on our streets / There are big crimes in DC in the White House,” the lyrics go. He goes on to sing: “Get the fascists out / we have to clean up the White House.”
“Big Crime” is not Neil Young’s first protest song against Donald Trump. He had previously published pieces such as “Let’s Roll Again” and “If You’re a Fascist, Get a Tesla”.
Bruce Springsteen also expresses his solidarity with “No Kings”
Neil Young isn’t the only rock musician voicing his support for the No Kings protests. Bruce Springsteen declared his solidarity with the movement in mid-October and recalled an American identity based on freedom, democracy and hope. “All hell is breaking loose out there in the United States,” Springsteen said in a speech at the AFI Fest in Los Angeles. “For 250 years, despite all the mistakes we have made, the United States has stood as a beacon of freedom, democracy, hope and independence around the world.”
He continued, “I have served as a sort of musical ambassador for America for 50 years and have seen firsthand the love and admiration that people around the world have for the America of our highest ideals. Despite the terrible damage America has suffered recently, this country and these ideals continue to be worth fighting for. I send this as a prayer for America, for our unity, and for No Kings.”
“No Kings” protests: commitment to democracy
The protests under the motto “No Kings” are directed against the authoritarian policies of US President Donald Trump and against alleged corruption in his administration. Referring to the origins of American independence, which was directed against the British crown, the demonstrators are calling for an end to dictatorial attitudes and a return to democratic values.
The “No Kings” protests first received widespread attention in June 2025. Organizers estimated at the time that more than five million people took part in over 2,100 cities and towns, including the main event in Philadelphia. At the end of October there were again numerous demonstrations. On October 18th, a total of seven million people protested in over 2,700 cities, as “Waging Nonviolence” reported. According to activists, the protests on this historic day mobilized over two percent of the American population to peaceful resistance in just one day.