Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has moved to clarify comments he made earlier this week praising Donald Trump’s speech in which the US President declared himself “your president of law and order.”
Trump’s words came amid growing anger and protests across the US following the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, with the president saying he was strongly recommending that state governors should deploy the National Guard to “dominate the streets” to end the unrest.
In a post that has now been deleted, Novoselic said that while he didn’t agree that troops should be sent in, he did praise Trump’s “strong and direct” tone and added that he had “knocked it out of the park” with his speech.
Novoselic has now issued a statement to clarify his original comments.
Novoselic says: “To clarify a few things: As an avowed independent, I don’t endorse a major party or candidate. And it feels insane to have to say this, but I don’t support fascism, and I don’t support an authoritarian state.
“I believe in a civilised society and that we all have to work toward that. Love and thanks to anyone who cares to read this.”
The protests across the US stem from the death of Floyd on May 25 after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, despite Floyd pleading that he couldn’t breathe.
Two minutes before Chauvin removed his knee, another officer checked Floyd’s wrist for a pulse but was unable to find one. Floyd was taken to hospital and pronounced dead an hour later.
Chauvin and the other three officers who were present were fired from the Minneapolis Police Department.
All four are now facing criminal charges, with Chauvin’s initial charge of third-degree murder elevated to second-degree murder, while Thomas Lane, Tou Thao and J Alexander Kueng are facing charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
