Brandi Carlile is extending an olive branch to voters who supported Donald Trump in 2024 but now find themselves disillusioned by the trajectory of his second term. Her message is simple: there is no shame in a change of heart.
In a candid conversation with Rolling Stone following her Saturday night performance at the Target Center in Minneapolis, the celebrated singer-songwriter expressed profound empathy for those she believes were manipulated. Her comments come amid intense scrutiny of the current administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement strategies. “It has become abundantly clear that this administration isn’t focused on the nuances of legal immigration,” Carlile noted backstage.
“What we are witnessing is performative aggression—a display of dominance over the vulnerable,” she continued. “I don’t believe the majority of voters signed up for this kind of theater. Even those I’ve felt frustrated with for supporting him—I don’t think this was their vision, and I believe they have the agency to reconsider their position.”
The 11-time Grammy winner drew a parallel to a personal experience from her youth. She recalled a time as a struggling musician when she was pressured into purchasing an exorbitant vacuum cleaner by a persistent door-to-door salesman. Instead of succumbing to a debt she couldn’t afford, she confronted the company and insisted they reclaim the product.
“You were swindled. We are living in an era defined by the ‘grift,'” Carlile explained. “In a world where you can’t even answer your phone without encountering a scam, falling victim to a con doesn’t mean you have to double down. You aren’t obligated to keep paying for that vacuum cleaner. I think many people are currently sitting with a sense of embarrassment or fraudulence.”
She urged those voters to transform their regret into action. “They shouldn’t feel ashamed; they should feel indignant. They need to move past the embarrassment of being duped by a master of the con and find the resolve to change their minds.”
The Minneapolis stop of Carlile’s tour functioned as a major benefit for The Advocates for Human Rights, a local nonprofit providing essential support to families impacted by recent ICE enforcement actions. Carlile later confirmed on social media that the event successfully raised over $600,000 for the cause.
Minneapolis has emerged as a flashpoint for national debate regarding immigration policy following the tragic deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti during federal enforcement operations in January. While a growing number of artists have recently begun to speak out, Carlile has remained a steadfast and vocal critic of these tactics for years.
“My heart is heavy for the people of Minnesota,” she shared in a recent statement. “The community there has provided a powerful blueprint for the rest of the country, showing us exactly what it looks like to stand in solidarity with our neighbors and fight for what is inherently right.”
