Neil Young began the new year with a sharp critique of Donald Trump in an op-ed on his official website, the Neil Young Archives, expressing deep concern over the state of the nation.

"Wake up, people!" he wrote. "Today the USA is a disaster. Donald Trump is destroying America bit by bit with his staff of wannabes, people with no experience or talent, inexperienced leaders who only know how to lie to stay in favor with Trump's falseness, and a Congress full of Republicans acting without conscience. He has divided us. How did we elect these leaders who have no values, no conscience, and no way to save the USA?"

The editorial followed a fatal incident in Minneapolis, where a protester was shot by an ICE officer, sparking nationwide demonstrations. Young warned, "We need to take Trump at his word. Make America Great Again. It won't be easy while he is trying to turn our cities into battlegrounds to cancel elections with martial law and escape accountability. Something has to change this. Rise up peacefully in millions. Too many innocent people are dying."

He criticized ICE for its role in the unrest. "It's ICE cold here in America," Young wrote. "There was no ICE before Trump. No soldiers in the streets before Trump. Every move he makes builds instability to stay in power. He knows nothing about love. Use your love of life, your love of one another, your love of children and theirs and ours. Peacefully. Now." (While ICE predates Trump, Young noted its tactics under his administration have become more aggressive.)

This is not Young’s first critique of Trump. In 2008, Trump praised Young’s music, telling Rolling Stone, "He's got something very special. His voice is perfect and haunting. He's 63 and I don't think it's changed. It's more important than his playing."

Last summer, Young released "Big Crime," a protest song directly addressing the administration: "Don't need no fascist rules/Don't want no fascist schools/Don't want soldiers on our streets/There's big crime in DC at the White House." The song was recently covered by Yo La Tengo.

Young also shared updates on his archival projects, including the fourth volume of his Neil Young Archive box sets. He noted a newly discovered rendition of the Blue Notes-era track "Ordinary People" and a Crazy Horse concert featuring rare songs performed after the death of longtime producer David Briggs.

The first Neil Young and Crazy Horse performance following Briggs’s death took place on March 13, 1996, at Old Princeton Landing in Princeton-By-The-Sea, California. The tour, performed under the name the Echoes, included songs from Zuma and the first live performance of "Stupid Girl." It remains unclear if this is the concert Young referenced.

Looking ahead, Neil Young and the Chrome Hearts plan to begin a European tour on June 19 in Manchester, England. No U.S. dates have been announced yet, though Young assured fans that American shows are forthcoming. "There will be some dates," he wrote. "Not a lot."

Overall, Young’s op-ed reinforces his role as a vocal critic of political leadership while highlighting his continued engagement with music and archival projects, balancing activism with his ongoing creative endeavors.