Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello jokes that band is ‘karmically entirely responsible’ for Trump’s presidency

Music video for 1999’s ‘Sleep Now in the Fire’ was directed by ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’ creator Michael Moore

Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has joked that the band is “karmically entirely responsible” for the election of Donald Trump.

In 1999, the “Killing in the Name” group released the music video for “Sleep Now in the Fire”, a song about greed, imperialism and war.

The music video made headlines again in the run up to the 2016 US election, after it was noted that one shot sees a man holding a placard that reads: “Donald J Trump for President.”

Speaking to Interview Magazine, Morello said of claims they “predicted” Trump’s presidency: “I would say that we are karmically entirely responsible, and my apologies.”

He continued: “[Director] Michael Moore just printed up some placards and handed them out to day traders who just walked around with them. No one paid any attention to it.

“It’s funny how that became an offhand joke. Offhand joke would be a good hashtag for 2020.”

In 2018, director Moore released political documentary film Fahrenheit 11/9 about Trump’s election.

In July, Morello praised demonstrators in Portland, Oregon, for chanting the lyrics to Rage Against the Machine’s protest song “Killing in the Name” while campaigning against police brutality.