In addition to their set at August's super-spreading Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Trapt, particularly frontman Chris Taylor Brown, have been making headlines throughout the coronavirus pandemic as Trump-loving, MAGA-spouting right wingers on social media. According to Brown, the band's Facebook got a 30-day suspension earlier this month for posting about all-male far-right group the Proud Boys. "FB is saying this post is violent," Brown wrote on Twitter, sharing a screencap of the suspension notice. "Just saying 'Proud Boys' is violence, yet 'Antifa' is everywhere. This is what I mean when I say 'wall street' helping Antifa. Big tech is part of Wall Street. They aid in recruitment mostly. I’d think every Pro USA group would be against Antifa"
In the post, Brown claims the Proud Boys are "inclusive of all races," something the Southern Poverty Law Center disputes.
More recently, as Metal Sucks points out, images began circulating on social media saying that Trapt's Facebook had been banned entirely after allegedly being reported for hate speech:
screencap via Metal Sucks
Brown took to Twitter once again today to confirm that, sharing the post he said got reported, which promotes the band's account on "free speech" oriented-social network Parler, that's become popular with conservatives, and threatens to sue Facebook. "For posting this pic and saying the same thing in the post, Facebook has completely deleted the TRAPT FB account," he writes. "They said don’t use the phrase 'Proud Boys.' I specifically told FB trapt fans that I could not say the name. I will be suing Facebook. Was also a post about Parler."
Meanwhile, it's possible that our exposure to the "Headstrong" band could soon extend beyond whatever social media networks they don't get themselves banned from, and onto the televison screen. Metal Sucks reports that Judge Judy producers have taken an interest in a small claims suit filed against Brown by video director Travis Livingstone, who says that Brown owes him $4,000 for work on a music video for "Tell Me How You Really Feel." According to Livingstone, Brown claimed his social media advertising agency spent the 4k meant for Livingstone, and he has only $500 to his name.
