Green Day Take Aim at Donald Trump in New ‘Troubled Times’ Video
Green Day continue to weigh in on the 2016 presidential election — and their views on the current sociopolitical climate — with the video for their latest single, "Troubled Times."
In the animated video for the clip, which you can watch above, bits of lyrics from the song flash across the screen along with members of the group, civil rights activists, and footage from rallies and protests — as well as a fulminating, flame-headed figure sporting a baseball cap while gesticulating wildly from a podium.
While he's never mentioned by name, nor is his face fully seen, the clip's antagonist is pretty clearly intended to be President-elect Donald Trump, with whom Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong publicly sparred throughout the election cycle. "The worst problem I see about Trump is who his followers are," he mused several months ago. "I actually feel bad for them, because they’re poor, working-class people who can’t get a leg up. They’re pissed off and he’s preyed on their anger. He just said, ‘You have no options and I’m the only one, and I’m going to take care of it myself.’ I mean, that’s f—ing Hitler, man!"
While much of the imagery in the "Troubled Times" video appears to deliberately hearken back to wartime government propaganda films, the members of the band stressed a less aggressive stance in their statement announcing its release, which was timed to match this year's celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. "Today," they wrote, "we celebrate Love and Compassion more than ever."
"Troubled Times" serves as the latest release from the band's current LP, Revolution Radio. They're booked for a lengthy North American tour in support of the album later this year.
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