Ariel Pink and John Maus Were at the DC Protests
"I was in DC to peacefully show support for my president," Pink wrote on Twitter.
Yesterday, thousands of Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol, interrupting the Senate's hearing to confirm Joe Biden as President, in a disturbing act that has been deemed "domestic terrorism."
An influx of photos and videos of the mob quickly spread across major news outlets and social media, showing — expectedly — not a single face mask in sight. With everyone's personal identities out in the open, law enforcement and those watching the terror unfold online were able to see exactly who was professing their support for (almost former) President Trump's dangerous antics. Unfortunately, there were a few familiar faces.
A photo began circulating on Twitter of musicians Ariel Pink and John Maus in a DC hotel room with film director Alex Lee Moyer, captioned, "the day we almost died but instead had a great time." Fans of the previously-beloved indie icons began worriedly speculating whether or not the trio had visited the capitol in the midst of the riots that caused the building to lockdown and left four people dead.
Unfortunately, Pink and Maus were, in fact, at the capitol. In a video obtained from Moyer's private Instagram account, Maus is seen among a sea of Trump supporters.
"i was in dc to peacefully show my support for the president [sic]," Pink later tweeted as the photo and video began making their rounds. "i attended the rally on the white house lawn and went back to hotel and took a nap. case closed."
Pink is no stranger to inciting controversy. He's made remarks such as "It's not illegal to be racist," "This gay marriage stuff pisses me off," and "I love necrophiliacs," just to quote a few, and he's also voiced admiration for the Westboro Baptist Church. He seems to delight in raising eyebrows, and critics have often lauded his work despite his notoriously misogynistic behavior.
Maus, on the other hand, keeps a lower profile than Pink, though the two have been tight since the early days of their careers. Maus' involvement with the capitol riots yesterday is less clear, but it's still a head-scratcher, considering he once released a song called "Cop Killer."
Well, there's two more artists to add to our Spotify blocked list.