Ariel Pink, John Maus and Iced Earth's Jon Schaffer All Attended the Pro-Trump Protest

BY Josiah HughesPublished Jan 7, 2021

Yesterday, hundreds of angry Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington, D.C., in an unprecedented protest that was broadcast the world over. The riot resulted in four deaths and plenty of chaos, as MAGA supporters protested Joe Biden's presidential win. Among the protestors were a handful of recognizable musicians, including John Maus, Ariel Pink and Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer. 

Schaffer was spotted on the scene by numerous onlookers. Last November, he was asked about the potential of such an event by German newspaper Die Welt. "If someone uses violence against us, we will react accordingly," the guitarist said of MAGA supporters. "We don't want that, but we are ready."
 

Ariel Pink and John Maus were photographed in D.C. with TFW No GF filmmaker Alex Lee Moyer (Pink and Maus collaborated on the film's soundtrack):
 

Moyer told Pitchfork that she had "felt obliged to record what was happening" as a journalist. Pink, meanwhile, explained that he was explicitly there to show support for the president:
 

Ever mysterious, John Maus has seemingly responded to the backlash by sharing a religious text:
 


UPDATE (1/7, 2 p.m. ET): Washington D.C. police have released an official PDF featuring individuals suspected of unlawful entry and wanted for "unrest-related offenses." The document includes 38 images, including one of Iced Earth's Jon Schaffer. 

Latest Coverage