The Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas has revealed that he’s refused to vote for the US Presidential elections – see what he had to say below.
In 2020, along with the rest of The Strokes, Casablancas backed Bernie Sanders, who lost to Joe Biden in the race to become the Democratic party’s candidate for the presidency. The band performed at a rally for the Democrat candidate at the beginning of the year and later called for Biden to choose Sanders as his running mate in the election.
Now, on the day of the US Presidential elections – which is being contested mainly by Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris – Casablancas shared a a post on social media that revealed his refusal to vote.
In the post, he shared an image of an “I protested” badge. He revealed a portion of a conversation he had with his mother, during which she said she agreed with his stance on politics and the elections but did not agree with his refusal to vote as a vote would “keep Trump from winning”.
Casablancas continued: “Like I told her, I am thinking of my children. The 2 parties are a joke… a horrible lie. The military and oil companies and banks are who we are voting for – and the media is their propaganda/entertainment wing. & with the way they cheated Bernie I see little point in choosing between these puppets… They want you to think it matters. That way nothing will change but it has to change.”
Casablancas’ refusal to vote comes after he revealed his thoughts on the elections in a chat with NME in September: “To be super middle of the road, I would say the vice presidential [running mate] of Kamala Harris, [Tim] Walz – he seems like an honest, decent person. So just for him, I suppose I’ll be sports-rooting for that team more than the other team, but I think they’re both two sides of the same corporate coin.
“Emotionally, a woman of colour and all that – sure, let’s just get that out of the way and check that box so we can move forward. But, in terms of what people actually want, neither of the parties offer that – they just have a stranglehold on power,” he continued.
Similar remarks were made by Chappell Roan earlier this year, when she said she wasn’t going to throw her undivided support behind any one candidate in the election, due to “problems” on both sides. However, she later said that she would be voting for Harris, though that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s endorsing the Vice President.
Many high-profile actors, artists and musicians have publicly endorsed both candidates in the run-up to the election. Beyoncé spoke at a Democratic Rally on Reproductive Rights last month, Billie Eilish approved her song ‘When the Party’s Over’ for a Democrat advert on reproductive care, and the cast of Marvel’s Avengers reunited to endorse Harris in an Instagram clip.
Others to officially endorse Harris include Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, Madonna, St. Vincent, Jennifer Lopez, Charli XCX, Joni Mitchell, Lady Gaga, Cher, Lizzo, Eminem, Usher, P!nk, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bad Bunny, Bon Iver, Quavo, Mumford & Sons, GloRilla and Finneas.
Trump’s high-profile backers include Kid Rock, Kelsey Grammer, Kanye West, and Hulk Hogan.