Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine: “I’m No Right-Winger”

Dave Mustaine wants to make it clear that he’s not a “right-winger” despite some past comments that suggest he leans that way. In a new interview with the New York Times, the Megadeth frontman says he answers to a higher power.

“I’m a Christian, and I answer to a different set of angels,” said the metal legend. “I obey the law, but no, I’m not a right-winger.”

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He added, “We used to always say that religion’s for people who are afraid of going to hell, and spirituality is for people like us who have been there.”

In the same New York Times feature, Ice-T — who is featured on the song “Night Stalkers” from Megadeth’s 2022 album The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! — noted, “I don’t know if [Mustaine is] a Trump supporter or not. I’m not, but I respect people for standing on what they stand for. Sometimes you’ll be on Twitter and you might post something, and they go, ‘Oh, wow, you agree with Dave Mustaine.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’s my man.’ And then they back off.”

The perception of Mustaine as a right-winger comes, in part. from comments he made leading up to the first Donald Trump presidential election when he called Trump “a very successful businessman” and added that he would never vote for Hillary Clinton.

Four years earlier, Mustaine expressed support for Rick Santorum, a Republican candidate for the 2012 election. He also made some disparaging remarks about Barack Obama at different points during his presidency.

In a 2019 interview with the Ron Keel-hosted radio show Streets of Rock N Roll, Mustaine also attempted to clarify his political beliefs, offering comments similar to those in the new interview with the New York Times “I’ve got this reputation that I’m a right-winger,” he said at the time. “Well, check my voting record to see that I’ve voted Democrat and Republican. And it’s just a shame that people are trying to destroy people’s careers because of a vote.”

Elsewhere in the New York Times feature, Mustaine discusses Megadeth’s upcoming final album and farewell tour, his relationship with his former bandmates in Metallica, and other topics.

Megadeth’s self-titled final album arrives January 23rd and will be followed by an extensive farewell tour, beginning with a Canadian headlining run kicking off in February. Get tickets here.