John Dolmayan, System of a Down’s drummer, has voiced a controversial take on Instagram, surprising many in the group’s fan base. Dolmayan, 46, took to the social media platform on Tuesday to echo previous claims from President Donald Trump that his administration has been an unparalleled supporter of the black community. Many have disputed this presumption, but that did not stop Dolmayan from sharing Trump’s claim and adding commentary of his own.
The drummer, who joined the group in 1997, shared a graphic featuring Trump’s claim the executive branch “has done more for the Black Community than any President since Abraham Lincoln … and AND THE BEST IS YET TO COME.” Dolmayan agreed, claiming the POTUS is “the greatest friend to minorities” and people are trying to “spin” the claim the wrong way.
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This support of the controversial Republican president confused fans, mainly due to System of a Down’s lyrics featuring many anti-establishment and anti-conservative themes. The band has previously criticized the Bush administration, the attacks on protesters at Tiananmen Square and the Armenian Genocide. Furthermore, System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has openly opposed Trump. On Sunday, Tankian even demanded Trump resign due to his response to the ongoing police brutality protests around the U.S.
Tankian bashed Trump for hiding in the White House’s emergency bunker when riots erupted in Washington, D.C., saying, “A real leader would address the nation properly and a real man would go face the protesters on the streets in person.” He also told protesters to learn from the 2018 Armenian revolution and to press for Trump’s resignation. Tankian wrote, “The lessons of the 2018 peaceful successful revolution in Armenia can be applied in the US and elsewhere in the world. Coordinate online and block every street everywhere and force the regime to resign. The time has come. Your time has come [Trump.]”
