System Of A Down‘s Serj Tankian has suggested that drummer John Dolmayan no longer supports Donald Trump.
The frontman was profiled by Rolling Stone Italy, where he was asked about comments he made in his 2024 memoir Down with the System in regards to Dolmayan’s political affiliations. In the book, he referred to Dolmayan as “is or was” a Trump supporter.
When questioned by Rolling Stone Italy about Dolmayan’s current beliefs, Tankian replied: “First of all, I don’t want to speak for John about his political views; that wouldn’t be fair. I can say that the verb “was” is correct.”
However, Tankian cautioned that “I can’t say for sure that it still is”, explaining: “I think he, too, got tired of Trump, like many others. Do differences make things more difficult? Of course. But there are also many points on which we agree.”
Tankian also acknowledged their relationship as bandmates and brothers-in-law, adding that it makes their dynamic “even more complicated”. “Our children are together all the time. They’re cousins. We see each other at family gatherings. That part is complicated,” he told the publication.
He went on to say that “I’m certainly not the only person in the world who has a brother-in-law with different political views,” adding: “I know so many Armenians in Los Angeles who voted for Trump and now regret it.”
“If you look at how much the United States has invested in education from 1980, when Reagan became president, until 2026, that explains everything,” he said of Trump’s ascent to power.
Dolmayan has been a longstanding and outspoken supporter of Trump since his first presidency in 2016. He has said that he is in “no danger whatsoever” of being fired from the band, with Tankian later expressing that he “respects” Dolmayan, but not his political views,
Additionally, Dolmayan has said that Tankian doesn’t speak for the whole band. “I wanted to present a different view and to give kids out there who think differently and who are critical thinkers, not necessarily following the norm, that there is a different option, you can think differently and that it’s okay to have diversity of opinion as long as it’s done peaceably”, he said at the time.
Tankian, however, has been vocally critical of Trump on numerous occasions, telling NME in 2021 of Biden’s presidency: “I think the whole world felt some relief that Trump was gone and that an adult was now in power”.
Though he called Biden’s policies “middle of the road”, he added: “Compared to the chaotic policies of the Trump administration, it’s great.”
Since voicing his support from Trump, Dolmayan has claimed that people wouldn’t work with him over his views, along with reportedly losing “hundreds and thousands of fans” who “couldn’t handle” his opinion.
Elsewhere, John Dolmayan has said that President Trump “brings a little sanity back” to the US.
