He wants that happy ending for the country that we once wanted for GN’R.

Axl Rose is still Axl Rose—but woke. And somehow more relevant than ever.

FORGIVING MUSIC’S ORIGINAL EDGELORD BY KRISTINA GARVIN 34THPARALLEL MAGAZINE ISSUE 79

THIS EVER-CHANGING WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE

Axl Rose won the internet again on May 6, 2020. Amid grim coverage of the coronavirus pandemic—“70k+ deaths”—the media rubbernecked Axl’s latest throwdown with the Trump administration. Rose’s target was Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin whom Rose evidently doesn’t like. He tweeted: “It’s official! Whatever anyone may have previously thought of Steve Mnuchin he’s officially an asshole.”

I don’t think I’d thought anything different about Mnuchin, so fair enough. But what happened next was the stuff of legend. Mnuchin, who occupies the nation’s highest financial office, actually replied to Axl Rose—within an hour!—and asked him what he’s done for the country lately.

Then the O Henry twist: Mnuchin tweeted (accidentally, we think) an icon of the Liberian flag. Take us down to schadenfreude c…