Coachella Star’s Anti-Trump Past Revealed

Julian Casablancas, the frontman of The Strokes, recently showcased a politically charged video during their Coachella performance. Interestingly, his upbringing was quite the opposite of what one might expect. He grew up in a wealthy New York City home and had ties to Trump as a child.

A noteworthy photo from 1991 captures Casablancas, with a VIP badge, standing behind Trump and his daughter Ivanka at a Maybelline event in Manhattan. This image was taken by renowned photographer Ron Galella.

Back in the day, Julian was living a life surrounded by privilege; his father founded Elite Model Management, and his mother is a former Miss Denmark. Trump is notably connected to this elite scene, as Ivanka played a role in the Casablancas family’s modeling contest.

Complications arise, too, as Julian’s father, John, had associations with the controversial Jeffrey Epstein, with past lawsuits alleging dubious actions involving underage models.

Before launching the band in 1998, Julian attended exclusive schools in both NYC and Switzerland.

During the Coachella show, Casablancas made a stark political statement that felt a bit out of sync with his affluent background. After performing, a montage displayed a school being bombed, labeled as “the last university left in Gaza.” As the imagery played, the band stood in silence, leaving the stage afterward.

The montage critiqued not just foreign policy but also included allegations against the CIA regarding regime changes, subtly pointing fingers at both Israel’s actions in Gaza and U.S. actions in Iran.

As the song “Oblivious” played—featuring the line, “Which side are you on?”—Casablancas hinted at a more political tone before they even started. He even addressed the audience about upcoming military draft registrations, making a joke about leading “the sexiest unit in our proud military” at Coachella.