Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey has launched a campaign urging punk artists to unite against Donald Trump’s presidency through a partnership with nonprofit organisation Home of the Brave.
The Massachusetts-based musician joined the group’s advisory board and released a series of videos calling for increased activism within the punk community.
Casey emphasised that punk rock should inherently challenge governmental abuses, telling Rolling Stone: “[t]he punk that I was raised to listen to, it should be speaking up against abuses in the government.” His collaboration with Home of the Brave, founded by former Republicans, aims to highlight the negative impacts of Trump’s policies on ordinary Americans.
The musician’s activism intensified following Trump’s return to office, with Casey arguing that artists must “step up” their resistance efforts. “If we’ve been outspoken even in times that were nowhere near as drastic as this, why would we not step up our level of activism as the stakes are raised?” he questioned during a recorded interview released by the organisation.
Dropkick Murphys have consistently opposed the president throughout the past year. In July, they dedicated their single “First Class Loser” to Trump during their Warped Tour appearance in Long Beach, California, while criticising his alleged connections to Jeffrey Epstein. The band also confronted a fan displaying a MAGA hat at a March concert, with Casey declaring: “This is America, there’s no kings here.”
Casey particularly highlighted workers’ rights as a key concern, claiming Trump consistently favours “the elite and the wealthy” over working-class Americans. The vocalist stressed that speaking out represents their duty “on behalf of punk rock, on behalf of regular people, on behalf of America as a whole.”
The campaign comes amid Trump administration controversies surrounding the Super Bowl Halftime Show selection of Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Bad Bunny. Despite Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announcing increased ICE presence at the event, Casey defended the performer. “I had never really listened to Bad Bunny’s music, but after his performance in ‘Happy Gilmore 2’, I will go to the mat for that guy,” Casey declared. “God bless his heart. He is a true, true American.”
