Overview

• At Chicago’s Riot Fest, GWAR performed a mock beheading of a mannequin resembling Elon Musk and a graphic staged killing of a Donald Trump effigy, spraying fake blood into the crowd.
• Right-leaning and MAGA-aligned users condemned the skits as normalizing violence, with some citing recent real-world attacks to argue the timing was irresponsible.
• Riot Fest’s official X account dismissed the backlash and mocked claims that the band “crossed a major line,” while a GWAR representative called the acts absurdist theatre rather than any endorsement of violence.
• Coverage and fan responses noted the band’s decades-long tradition of theatrically ‘killing’ presidents and public figures from across the political spectrum at shows.
• Several outlets flagged that an early viral post from the account @hottakekaren — later describing itself as “GWAR’s biggest fan” — appeared to bait outrage, and no investigations or official actions have been reported.