The drummer System of a Down, John Dolmayanhas claimed to be aware that he has lost possibly thousands of fans and many friends because of his controversial opinions.
Dolmayan first generated controversy for his views when he became a strong supporter of Donald Trump before and while he was in the White House, in stark contrast to the band’s leader, Serj Tankian, who strongly criticized Trump and even called for his resignation. Despite the differences, John publicly expressed that his opinion was not going to cost him the drummer position in the group.
Later, with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, he expressed that it was not something legitimate, and that it was a propaganda tool for the Democratic Party. The icing on the cake were his arguments about the Covid pandemic, in which he expressed that it had to do with money.
“I have lost people I thought were friends over the last few years, primarily due to my unwillingness to accept the narratives whose validity they now question,” John writes on his Instagram page, adding that “not to mention the hundreds of thousands from fans who couldn’t stand my opinions here on Instagram. When you go out of your way to help those in danger or guide those who are being deceived, sometimes you lose because of it. You do it anyway. And I would do it again…”
But this public expression about his opinions is not the first he has published, since in 2020 he spoke about how if he kept his mouth shut they would prefer him, but that that would not help anyone. Regarding his and Tankian’s opposing views, he has argued that the leader does not speak for the entire gang in politics. “If you believe that Serj is the spokesperson for the band, he is as a vocalist, but it does not necessarily imply that he is ideologically so,” he stated in his defense. Despite everything, Tankian has spoken out saying that he respects Dolmayan, but not his opinions.
