R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills has responded to President Trump’s re-tweeting of a parody video created by a right-wing fan of Trump's that featured the band’s song “Everybody Hurts” Friday. The meme sets the song to footage of Trump’s recent State of the Union speech, specifically focusing on reaction shots of prominent Democratic congressman, and a few Trump critics such as Mitt Romney, too.
“The a**holes @CarpeDonktum created the meme. #PresidentAsshole retweeted it. Measures have been taken to stop it. @jack you need to get on this.” The bassist tweeted Friday.
It’s fair to say founding members of the band are no fans of Trump. Four years ago, R.E.M. railed against conservative figures who use their music without permission.
"Go f*ck yourselves, the lot of you — you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men," lead singer Michael Stipe said in 2015 on behalf of the band after their song, "It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" was played during a rally where Trump spoke.