Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Dave Matthews has launched a furious and emotional condemnation of Donald Trump's government, labelling its members "revolting" and "monsters" in the wake of a fatal shooting by an immigration officer.
Frontman's Furious Video Rant
The Dave Matthews Band frontman, who turned 59 last Friday, posted a video to social media directly criticising federal funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Matthews stated he did not want his taxes paying for "masked thugs to roam our streets and terrorise our communities and rip families apart." He argued that society should be focused on caring for one another and housing the homeless, rather than using force against citizens.
His comments were a direct response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. Multiple videos of the incident show Good in her car surrounded by ICE agents before she attempts to drive away. Officer Jonathan Ross then fired multiple shots, killing her.
Disputing the 'Domestic Terrorist' Narrative
The Trump administration, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, swiftly branded Good a "domestic terrorist." Matthews vehemently disputed this characterisation after reviewing the footage. "Maybe if they show you one [angle] and they slow it down and they tell you where to look, you might think... maybe there's a chance that the gunman felt threatened," he said. "But from most angles, near and far, it looks like she was trying to get away, and he shot her three times in the head, murdered in cold blood."
He described the event as "mind-boggling" and "deeply upsetting," adding that it could not be allowed to "just slide." Matthews then named and shamed several high-profile officials, calling Trump, Noem, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi "deeply, deeply dishonest people."
A Scathing Verdict on US Leadership
In his concluding remarks, the 'Crash' singer delivered a damning verdict. "Just cowardly, shameful, dishonest people," he said. "They are revolting. I am deeply ashamed of this government, the way they're treating our neighbours, outside and inside this country."
Matthews finished with a powerful and personal condemnation: "I don't like these monsters that are running the show right now. They are ungrateful, greedy monsters. I don't like it. I don't like it one bit." The White House had not responded to a request for comment at the time of reporting.
