Hayley Williams condemns Donald Trump, ICE, and Jeffrey Epstein in new essay: “Fuck ’em”
Paramore vocalist and solo artist Hayley Williams has deemed the current political climate in America “exhausting”.
She has put this down to President Donald Trump, ICE, and Jeffrey Epstein, as well as highlighting “multiple genocides” and more issues that have contributed to the current environment.
Writing in a personal new Substack essay, Williams touched on a plethora of topics, first lamenting proposed federal budget cuts that will “do away with music and arts education”.
Williams stressed the dichotomy between this tragic potentiality and “the soon to be completely botched Kennedy Performing Arts Center our president has become obsessed with.”
She added, “Fascism hates art and expression because art and expression signal all sorts of freedoms. Art cannot be controlled or contained.”
The ‘Hard Times’ singer then reflected on the political climate since the release of Paramore’s 2023 album, This Is Why, the band’s last release since their current hiatus.
Williams wrote, “Since releasing This Is Why, our country / our world has gotten harder to live in, not easier.”
During the album’s release cycle, she added, “I remembered what a learning curve it was to be more publicly political during the This Is Why cycle, at times opening myself up to some pretty cringe ridicule from people who’s values seem to differ starkly from mine, whether FOX news pundits or Elon Musk himself.”
In 2024, tech mogul Musk took to X to criticise Williams’ anti-Trump speech at iHeartRadio Music Festival, deeming her, just another puppet of the machine” and “so disappointing”.
During this time, the musician also “had so much hope back then that we’d beat Trump at the polls.” However, during his current presidency, Williams reflected, “Trump, our president once more, still shits his suits and lies through his teeth about everything.”
She went on, “In 2026, Project 2025 is 51% complete, and we’re now talking about a Project 2026. ICE (fuck em), Epstein (fuck em), cities who mismanage and put profits over people (fuck em), multiple genocides (FUCKKKK em).”
However, the singer-songwriter knows there are plenty more atrocities happening now, stating that these are “only a few of the huge issues dominating the news cycle and our collective minds. It’s an exhausting time to just be human, especially if you are a human on the side of liberty and justice for ALL.”
Later, Williams signed off the post with reference to “the people of Minneapolis“, who “are leading by example to show the rest of America what patriotism and “loving your neighbor as you love yourself” actually looks like.”
Later this year, Williams is set to embark on a sold-out solo tour that will take her across America and Europe.
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