Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician Dave Matthews launched a scathing critique of former President Donald Trump and his administration, specifically targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). His outburst was prompted by the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an immigration officer in Minneapolis earlier this week.
A Viral Birthday Condemnation
In a video posted on his birthday Friday, Matthews expressed profound anger over how taxpayer money is used. "I don't want my taxes to pay for ICE, to masked thugs to roam our streets and terrorize our communities and rip families apart," he stated forcefully. The singer-songwriter argued for a society focused on mutual care, suggesting priorities should be housing the homeless rather than aggressive enforcement. "We should be taking care of each other. We should be minding each other," Matthews said, adding, "We shouldn't be, you know, throwing people to the ground."
His broad condemnation didn't stop at domestic policy. Matthews also criticized the administration's military involvement in Venezuela, threats to other nations, actions in the Gaza conflict, and the overall operations of ICE.
The Incident That Sparked Outrage
Matthews directly connected his fury to the death of Renee Nicole Good. "Which brings me to Renee Nicole Good, murdered in front of her fellow citizens in Minneapolis, murdered in the streets, and no matter what narrative this administration is trying to sell us, we can see the videos," he declared.
Multiple videos from the scene show Good surrounded by immigration officers while her vehicle partially blocked a road. Alleged cellphone footage from the perspective of the shooter, identified as Officer Jonathan Ross, captures Good saying, "It's fine, dude, I'm not mad at you." The footage then shows her backing up her car, turning the wheels, and moving forward before Ross fires multiple shots. A voice, presumably Ross's, is heard saying "fucking bitch" moments after the gunfire.
Clashing Narratives and a Musician's Fury
The Trump administration has framed the killing as an act of self-defense. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Good of weaponizing her car to run over the officer, calling it "an act of domestic terrorism." Vice President JD Vance labeled the deceased mother of three "a deranged leftist," claiming she was part of a network aiming to attack and doxx ICE officers.
Matthews vehemently disputed this official account, insisting Good was "murdered in cold blood." "It's mind-boggling, and it's deeply upsetting to me and to so many people, and we can't just let it slide," he said.
His anger targeted specific figures by name: "To Trump, to Kristi Noem, to Stephen Miller, to Pete Hegseth, to [Kash] Patel to [Pam] Bondi to all of them, just deeply, deeply dishonest people. Just cowardly, shameful, dishonest people." He concluded his thoughts on them with: "Fuck them. They are revolting."
Matthews extended his shame to the broader actions of the U.S. government. "I'm deeply ashamed of this government, the way they're treating our neighbors, outside and inside this country," he shared. Ending with a raw, emotional plea, he said, "Fuck ICE. Yeah. If that language offends you ... Come on. We all heard it before. I hope you know where my heart is." He finalized his statement by calling the current leadership "ungrateful, greedy monsters."
