Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes has denied rumours that he’s a secret Donald Trump supporter, claiming fans have misinterpreted previous controversial statements.
Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes has denied being a Donald Trump supporter in a recent appearance on the Bad Decisions Podcast, clarifying previous controversial statements.
The frontman would address the divisive comments he made following the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks, where an Eagles of Death Metal concert would see itself at the centre of a terrorist attack. Islamic State extremists would storm Paris’ Bataclan venue, firing at fans in the audience before detonating suicide vests as police stormed the venue, claiming 90 lives.
Following the incident, Hughes would make controversial statements about France’s strict gun laws and would even accuse some of the security guards of being in cahoots with terrorist groups.
Host Scott Michael Nathan would ask about the incident and what people got wrong about the night, to which Hughes would reply, “Well, they weren’t there, that’s one thing” (per Blabbermouth). “But also, you have to consider that I was traumatised. I was deeply traumatised, and I was very, very protective of everyone that had been there.”
He continued: “I wouldn’t say that I don’t believe the things that I said at the time, but I would definitely say that today I probably wouldn’t say them because it’s just not necessary.”
Hughes would also explain that his status as a “rock and roller” didn’t prepare him for the responsibility and spotlight his comments would bring: “I don’t care who you vote for – check your politics at the door, and everyone gets to come here and shake their dick and have a good time. For whatever reason, the circumstances of my life made it so that for a moment, I didn’t have that luxury anymore.”
“Let me just put it this way: the amount of people that crawled out of the woodwork to manipulate me and use my tragedy to their benefit was endless, and it disgusted me on both sides of the aisle,” Hughes added.
Following Hughes’ comments, Ismael El Iraki, a fan who attended the Bataclan gig, would share an open letter calling out Hughes.
“Man, I never thought that you would become one of those spreaders of fear,” he said at the time. “Fox News, Trump, all those guys. You always felt like a maverick, a rebel: we now know that you are not.”
The Eagles of Death Metal frontman would also discuss fans connecting his statement to Trump, denying any secret support for the United States President.
“Sometimes people will say I’m a Trump supporter. That is just not true,” Hughes clarified on the podcast. “I’ve never, ever, ever one time in the press ever endorsed or said that I support the man.”
“I’ve just said things that have been controversial that you could attribute maybe to one side or another. But I have a different perspective. And I still believe the things I believe, but I was able to return to a place where [you could] check your politics at the door.”
Hughes added, “Elvis said it best. I’m an entertainer, and it’s nobody’s business what I vote for, ’cause I ain’t here to tell you who to vote for.”
The host would quickly interject, noting that while he is personally pro-gun, he doesn’t have any issues with gay marriage, which Hughes would reply: “Dude, our first album is literally the transgender flag. I don’t think anyone realises that. I grew up in Palm Springs. Nobody is more supportive of the gay community than I am, dude.
“But when everyone’s all worked up and everyone’s angry and everyone’s too busy hating, it’s difficult to see the nuances.”
Eagles of Death Metal are expected to head on tour with limited festival appearances in Europe spread throughout 2026. In 2023, Hughes would tease that he and Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme were working on a follow-up to 2015’s Zipper Down. However, there have been sparse updates about the project since.
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