White House Claps Back at Neil Young’s Anti-Trump Song, Calls It ‘Cringe’ Amid Crime Crackdown Praise

Neil Young is strumming up controversy again—this time targeting Donald Trump’s D.C. crime crackdown with a fiery protest song that’s already getting slammed by the White House as “cringe.”

On Thursday, the iconic rocker released a new track titled “Big Crime,” taking aim at Trump’s aggressive approach to restoring order in the nation’s capital. In the song, Young sings,

“There’s big crime in D.C. at the White House. Don’t need no fascist rules! Don’t want no fascist schools! Don’t want soldiers walking on our streets!”

The lyrics take a direct jab at Trump’s recent move to deploy National Guard troops and assume control over Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department. The plan, meant to combat surging violent crime, has become one of the most debated federal interventions in recent years.

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But while some critics—like Young—see the move as authoritarian, others are seeing results.

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Even D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who initially pushed back against Trump’s involvement, acknowledged this week that crime metrics have improved significantly since the federal effort began. At a press conference on Wednesday, she revealed that carjackings are down by a staggering 87%, and violent crime overall has dropped by 44%.

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That hasn’t stopped Young from going full protest mode. In “Big Crime,” he also calls for:

“No money to the fascists, the billionaire fascists,”
and urges a complete overhaul of the system, singing:
“Time to black out the system.”

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The response from the Trump administration came swiftly.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital,

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“Instead of tarnishing his legacy with cringe songs, Neil should spend some time talking to the D.C. residents who haven’t been victims of violent crime thanks to President Trump.”
“Then he can decide if he really wants to criticize actions that have reduced violent crime already by 44%.”

Jackson’s blunt rebuttal underscored the administration’s belief that the numbers speak for themselves—and that liberal artists criticizing the crackdown are out of touch with reality on the ground.

Even Liberal Voices Are Split

Interestingly, not everyone on the left is dismissing Trump’s anti-crime push.

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough admitted on air that while Trump’s federal surge initially raised eyebrows, the strategy may actually be improving life in the city.

“If he doesn’t overreach, this could actually be a good thing for quality of life,” he said, adding that D.C. still doesn’t feel as safe as it should—even if things are better than they were two or three years ago.

On the flip side, MSNBC host Symone Sanders-Townsend pushed back, questioning whether more police presence equates to real safety—especially for marginalized communities.

“I do not always think that more police make streets safer,” she said, citing her perspective as “a Black woman in America.”

Protest Music vs. Public Safety?

Neil Young has long been a vocal critic of conservative politics, but “Big Crime” takes aim at Trump in a moment when public opinion on crime—and how to handle it—is shifting. The track may resonate with Young’s loyal fanbase, but in Washington, where violent incidents have dropped, the message isn’t landing for everyone.

As the debate over how to balance public safety with civil liberties heats up, it’s clear this issue is far from resolved—and protest music, like politics, is once again on the front lines.