Dropkick Murphys Deny Suspension from X, Clarify Account Status After MAGA Hat Incident

The Massachusetts-based Celtic punk band, Dropkick Murphys, has addressed reports circulating regarding the suspension of their account on X, formerly known as Twitter. The band vehemently denies that their account was suspended in response to an incident involving frontman Ken Casey confronting a fan wearing "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) merchandise at a recent concert.

Casey, the band’s founder and lead vocalist, sparked controversy after directing strong remarks towards a fan sporting a white MAGA hat during a sold-out performance in Boston on Saturday night. Videos of the incident quickly spread online, capturing Casey’s impassioned condemnation of the hat and its association with Donald Trump’s political movement.

In the video, Casey is heard saying, "The Chinese [expletive] red that they all wear, and I think its dyeing their brains. Ya got the black-on-black Elon Musk, true Nazi edition. And then my man here is getting ready for summer with a nice [expletive] white white one."

Casey continued his critique by questioning the motivations and ideology behind wearing the MAGA hat. He remarked, "If you’re in a room full of people and you want to know who’s in a cult, how do you know who’s in a cult? They’ve been holding up a [expletive] hat the whole night to represent a president. This is America, there’s no kings here." The crowd responded with enthusiastic cheers to Casey’s statements.

Following the incident, various media outlets reported that the Dropkick Murphys’ X account had been suspended, presumably as a result of the interaction between Casey and the fan. However, the band has refuted these claims, stating that they had already ceased using X in 2022, long before the recent controversy.

The band clarified that their official account currently displays a "suspended" status because someone unaffiliated with the Dropkick Murphys had taken control of the handle and impersonated the band. In response, the band initiated legal action to regain control of their account, which ultimately led to the suspension of the unauthorized account.

"We broke up with him first. We quit Twitter in 2022 when he was only half a Nazi," Casey stated in a statement released on Tuesday, referencing Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform and the band’s growing discomfort with its direction. "Someone else, unaffiliated with the band, later took bands X handle and pretended to be our official account. So we filed a legal complaint to put a stop to that—which is why @dropkickmurphys shows as suspended."

Casey further explained the band’s decision to leave X, saying, "Look, we pulled our account because we didn’t want to be part of that guy’s empire. But if we were still on there, I’m sure he would have suspended us by now.”

An X spokesperson confirmed the Dropkick Murphys’ account of the situation, verifying that the information shared by the band on Tuesday afternoon was accurate.

This is not the first time the Dropkick Murphys have publicly expressed their opposition to Donald Trump and his supporters. On March 8, during a concert in Clearwater, Florida, Casey similarly confronted a fan wearing a MAGA hat. The band shared a fan-recorded video of the incident, underscoring their unwavering stance on social and political issues.

In the video, Casey states, "The reason we speak out, we don’t care if we lose fans because when history is said and done, we want it known that the Dropkick Murphys stood with the people. We stood with the workers. It’s all a [expletive] scam, guys.”

The Dropkick Murphys have consistently used their platform to advocate for social justice and workers’ rights. Casey also emphasized the band’s commitment to producing merchandise made in America, contrasting it with the prevalence of unofficial MAGA merchandise manufactured overseas.

Casey noted that the band "always sells proudly made in America merchandise only. Official MAGA merchandise is American made, but unofficial vendors make them elsewhere."

The Dropkick Murphys’ outspokenness and willingness to confront controversial issues have solidified their reputation as a band that is unafraid to take a stand, even if it means alienating some fans. They continue to use their music and platform to amplify their message of unity, social justice, and working-class solidarity. The band’s firm stance against what they perceive as harmful ideologies reflects their commitment to using their influence for positive change and aligning themselves with values of inclusivity and equality. Their recent actions surrounding the X account suspension and the MAGA hat incidents are further testaments to their unwavering principles.