The band shared the Obamas’ January 25, 2026 statement and turned it into a real call to action—hit up your lawmakers and back Minnesota with donations.
Pearl Jam posted the statement signed by Barack Obama and Michelle Obama (January 25, 2026) across their socials, and they weren’t playing it safe. This wasn’t a neutral repost – it was a push to act.
Here’s exactly what they wrote: “Honored to share the words of Former President Obama and Michelle Obama. Make your voice heard and contact your legislators at 5calls.org. Support with donations at standwithminnesota.com“.
Mike McCready doubled down on his IG and dropped a Hannah Arendt quote (“Truthfulness has never been counted among the political virtues, and lies have always been regarded as justifiable tools in political dealings“) that hits like a gut punch in a moment like this—politics runs on spin, and truth gets treated like an inconvenience.
Then Jeff Ament added his own weight. He posted what he called the best words he’d read today, crediting Matt Moberg, the Minnesota Timberwolves chaplain, and tagging it #knowyourrights. The message doesn’t do soft-focus “peace and unity.” It calls out performative calm, says silence isn’t peacemaking, and warns against using faith talk like a sedative to keep people comfortable while injustice stays wide awake. The punch is simple: a “peace” that won’t face the truth is a lie—and “unity” that refuses to name violence isn’t neutral, it’s picking a side.
That’s the lane the Obamas’ statement is in, too. It starts with Alex Pretti, but frames the issue as bigger than one case: legality, transparency, and accountability in how federal agents operate. They acknowledge the job is tough, but stress it has to be lawful, accountable, and coordinated with state and local authorities.
In their view, Minnesota is seeing the opposite: escalation, tactics that crank up tension and risk, and political leadership that keeps pouring gas on the fire. The statement references protests, mentions the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and argues the administration’s public explanations aren’t backed by serious investigations – and are contradicted by video evidence. Their bottom line is blunt: this has to stop, and the way forward is accountability, cooperation with local authorities, and support for peaceful protest as a democratic tool.
What matters isn’t only that Pearl Jam shared it – it’s how they pushed it, and how McCready and Ament backed it personally. The message is basically: don’t hide behind “calm.” Speak up. Make the calls. Chip in. Silence isn’t neutral – it’s folding.
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., Mark Lanegan, R.E.M., Radiohead, Cat Power, Dead Kennedys