Hayley Williams slammed Donald Trump during Paramore’s set at Las Vegas’ iHeartRadio Music Festival, warning fans about Project 2025 and encouraging them to vote.
During Paramore’s performance of, fittingly, “Big Man, Little Integrity,” Williams locked on to the camera that was livestreaming the concert on Hulu and spoke directly to both the Vegas crowd and the audiences at home.
“Project 2025 is Donald Trump’s playbook for controlling and punishing women, poor people, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community,” Williams said.
Hayley Williams calls out Donald Trump live at iHeartRadio Music Festival! pic.twitter.com/U6PSH83TSz
— 🏁 (@concertleaks) September 21, 2024
“It is time for all Americans to band together and finally defeat the Trump agenda. And the only way to do that is by confronting him at the polls. Do you want to live in the dictatorship? Well, show up and vote.”
Williams has long used her microphone to condemn Republicans over their anti-LGBTQ+ laws, including at a show in Washington, D.C. in June 2023 where she told fans, “If you vote for Ron DeSantis, you’re fucking dead to me. Is that comfortable enough for anyone?”
Earlier this year, Paramore declined a Tennessee resolution honoring the band for their Grammy win after the state’s Republican-leaning House of Representatives rejected a similar resolution celebrating Allison Russell.
“This week, Rep. Justin Jones put forth resolutions to honor my band, Paramore and another local-to-Nashville artist, Allison Russell, on our recent Grammy wins (as far as I can tell these resolutions have no legal weight to them. They’re like a big high five or when the whole restaurant joins in to sing you “Happy Birthday”),” Williams wrote in February. “House Republicans only let the measure that acknowledged Paramore’s win pass. They blocked Allison’s.”
She continued, “The blatant racism of our state leadership is embarrassing and cruel. Myself, as well as Paramore, will continue to encourage young people to show up to vote with equality in mind.”
