Julian Casablancas calls US political parties a joke

Julian Casablancas, the iconic frontman of The Strokes, recently announced his decision to abstain from voting in the upcoming US Presidential elections. “I see little point in choosing between these puppets,” he posted on social media, igniting a wave of backlash from fans and followers alike.

In his revealing post, Casablancas shared an image of a sticker that read: “I Protested,” a stark contrast to the typical “I Voted.” This bold statement has led many to question his stance on the democratic process.

The musician elaborated that his decision followed a discussion with his mother, who expressed her disapproval, urging him to participate in order to prevent a Trump victory. “My beautiful sweet amazing mom just told me, ‘I agree with you, but right now vote at least to keep Trump from winning. Think of your children,’” he recounted.

In response, Casablancas emphasized, “Like I told her, I am thinking of my children. The two parties are a joke… a horrible lie. The military, 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.”

The Strokes previously supported Bernie Sanders during the 2020 election, when he ultimately lost to Joe Biden in the Democratic primary.

Casablancas’ remarks have sparked significant criticism online, with fans expressing their disappointment on platforms such as Reddit .

Earlier in the week, Casablancas also caught the attention of music fans during an interview with The Guardian . In this feature, he reflected on The Strokes’ music, revealing that their breakthrough hit “Last Nite” is a track he can “no longer listen to.” He noted, “There are some others like ‘Reptilia’, ‘Hard to Explain’, ‘Someday’, ‘Take It or Leave It’, ‘New York City Cops’ that are comparable in terms of crowd reaction, but I’m not quite as sick of. If I heard ‘Last Nite’ on the radio, I’d probably turn it off.”