Tom Morello rips Trump's 'authoritarian clown show' over ICE: 'Take the power back'

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: 'Rage Against the Machine' icon Tom Morello joined forces with the 'Hands Off NYC' coalition at 26 Federal Plaza on Tuesday, 12 May, to launch a blistering attack on the Trump administration’s "unlawful" ICE abuses.

Branding the latest immigration detention tactics an "authoritarian clown show," the outspoken musician and activist addressed a defiant crowd of New Yorkers during a high-energy solidarity press conference and performance, the Rolling Stone reported.

“What is called for right now is a mass movement of peaceful anti-fascist crime fighters," he said, adding, "I constantly worry about my brothers and sisters that are still inside, whose families have been torn apart by this broken system."

Tom Morello torches 'unlawful' ICE tactics

Morello, echoing the anti-establishment themes of his frequent collaborator Bruce Springsteen, slammed the White House for what he described as systemic detention practices. He encouraged people to stand up against the administration and called for a wider movement of people standing up for what is right.

“We are living in a time where ideas are a crime, where gender is a crime, where skin colour is a crime, where the truth is a crime, while the real criminals dine and toast with dictatorship on their minds and golf clubs in their tiny hands,” he said, as per the Rolling Stone. 

However, a video of Morello singing that was posted to X received a multitude of negative comments. "Performs being the apt word here, lol. Like a commie circus clown," one person wrote while another said: "Lowlife Tom Morello wants Americans to be murdered by illegal aliens and trillions wasted on them. F this guy."

On Instagram, he received a swell of support.  "Thanks, Tom Morello and New York! Appreciate your support for immigrants," one commenter wrote. "One of my favorite Woody Guthrie sings. Great lyrics. Keep up the good work. In the end, we will derail Trump & friends’ authoritarian train and get the country on a better track towards justice for all, citizens and immigrants alike."

'Take the power back'

The atmosphere shifted from a press conference to a full-blown protest anthem when Morello picked up his guitar to perform for the gathered crowd. The choice of 'Take the Power Back' was no coincidence.

The 1992 'Rage Against the Machine' track, which deals with institutional oppression and the need for grassroots rebellion, served as the perfect soundtrack for the defiance.

Beyond the music, Morello’s presence served as a reminder of his career-long commitment to social justice, ranging from his time with Audioslave to his high-profile collaborations with Springsteen. He urged those in attendance to remain vigilant and to continue the fight against the administration's immigration policies.

Morello insisted that the only way to counter a "clown show" of authority is through organised, unrelenting resistance from the people themselves.

“For quite some time, it has felt like democracy and justice have been under siege in our country. We've experienced that in Los Angeles, in my hometown of Chicago as well, where I've participated in shows and protests,” Morello had said during an interview with the Current.

“I have a vocation, I'm a guitar player, and I have thoughts and feelings about what's right and what's wrong in the world,” he said during an interview, adding,” I just gotta do anything I can to try to express my solidarity, to try to raise some money for the victims of state terror, and to enter the fray.”

Morello's viral warning

As images and clips of the performance began to spread online, the message of "taking the power back" resonated far beyond the streets of Lower Manhattan, sparking fresh debate over the future of federal immigration enforcement. 

“Brothers and sisters, if I’ve learned one thing in all my years since then, it’s that if it looks like fascism, acts like fascism, dresses like fascism, talks like fascism, kills like fascism, and lies like fascism, brothers and sisters, it’s f**king fascism,” Morello lambasted.