Neil Young endorses Kamala Harris in bid to become US President
Neil Young has become the latest musician to endorse Democratic Party nominee Kamala Harris in her bid to become US President.
Harris, who is currently the Vice President, is set to square off against the Republican Party nominee, Donald Trump, when voters head to the ballot box on November 5th. With the election set to take place in less than a month, Young has now expressed his reasoning for supporting Harris.
Young’s public backing of Harris isn’t a surprise. In August, the Canadian singer-songwriter gave Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, permission to use his song, ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’, when he made his entry to the stage at the Democratic National Convention.
The track was previously used by Trump at his campaign announcement in 2015, which led to a war of words between him and Young. Eventually, in 2020, when the song was used again by the Republican, the former Buffalo Springfield musician filed a lawsuit against him which he later voluntarily dismissed.
In a statement published on his website, Young detailed why he believes Harris should be elected on November 5th, stating, “Kamala Harris – She is an honest forthright truth-teller who is experienced in the White House, free from ambiguity or evasiveness, who goes straight to the point. Clear headed, young enough to hold the office for a couple of bright future terms, Kamala Harris is a good person who is unafraid to take on criminals and uphold the law of the USA. She’s my candidate for the future of this great country.”
Young also shared his belief that Harris will help make America a more prosperous country fo working families, adding, “Kamala Harris will take on the billionaire class and make them pay their fair share of taxes. She will not owe them any favors. She is a kind, considerate American. Cast your vote for a beautiful future for your family. Kamala Harris for President.”
The Canadian’s comments arrived shortly after Bruce Springsteen also announced his support for Harris. He shared on Instagram: “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are committed to a vision of this country that respects and includes everyone, regardless of class, religion, race, your political point of view or sexual identity, and they want to grow our economy in a way that benefits all, not just the few, like me, on top.”
‘The Boss’ also labelled Trump the “most dangerous” presidential candidate of his lifetime, adding, “He doesn’t understand the meaning of this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American.”
Furthermore, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Foo Fighters, Joan Baez, Stevie Nicks, Ariana Grande, Carole King, and Linda Ronstadt have all supported the Democratic campaign.
Donald Trump’s love of Neil Young’s music
Despite their legal battle over the use of ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’, Trump and Young also know each other. Before entering the realm of politics, the former host of The Apprentice spoke about his appreciation for Young’s talent, and even shared an image of them together at Trump Tower in 2015 when the musician had sought funding for Pono.
Due to his appreciation for Young’s work, he initially obliged when the singer asked him not to use ‘Rockin’ In The Free World’ in 2015. A representative for the politician confirmed that they had “paid for and obtained the legal right to use” the song but “won’t be using it again” because “Trump likes Neil very much”.
During an interview with Rolling Stone in 2008, Trump said of Young: “He’s got something very special. I’ve listened to his music for years and I’ve seen him before that, but I went to the concert where they were honoring Bob Dylan years ago at Madison Square Garden [Bob Fest 10/16/92] and Neil got up and totally brought the house down. There was nobody close. He’s performed for me at my casinos over the years and he just brings it down. I’ve met him on occasions and he’s a terrific guy.”
When asked about his favourite song or album by Young, Trump added: “It’s sort of all favorite. I like the older stuff better, which is typical with a lot of artists — hence the famous Ricky Nelson song ‘Garden Party.’ I like all his songs, you know, ‘Rock and Roll’ — just great stuff. His voice is perfect and haunting. He’s 63 and I don’t think it’s changed. It’s more important than his playing, ’cause you have so many great players — but there’s just one voice like that. Whatever the hell ‘it’ is, he’s got it.”
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