He explained on the red carpet that he wore the whistle "to represent all the observers in Minneapolis"
By Adam England 3rd February 2026
Justin Vernon. CREDIT: Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon has responded after political commentator Megyn Kelly mocked an anti-ICE whistle he wore to the Grammy Awards.
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The singer-songwriter was one of many artists to make a stand against the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alongside the likes of Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish. Vernon was one of many to wear an ‘ICE OUT’ pin during the ceremony on Sunday (February 1), and he also brought a whistle with him.
AdvertisementHe explained on the red carpet that the whistle was “there to represent all the observers in Minneapolis”, regarding the protests over the shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
Good, 37, was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on January 7, triggering mass protests across the country. Pretti, also 37, was killed on January 24 by an officer who shot him 10 times in five seconds less than a mile away from where Good was killed. Both were US citizens and Pretti had been part of the protests unfolding in the wake of Good’s death.
Yesterday (February 2), Kelly mocked Vernon on her SiriusXM show The Megyn Kelly Show. In a clip from the show that appears on her YouTube channel, called ‘Ridiculous Musician Bon Iver Actually Wears WHISTLE to the Grammys to Honor the Anti-ICE Protestors’, Kelly laughed as she said, “We got this guy Bon with his little whistle on his lapel”.
She then asked conservative radio host Jesse Kelly for his thoughts. He called it ironic that celebrities like those at the Grammys are safe wherever they go – including the American restaurant chain Red Lobster – with security, while in his view, the American public are scared of being killed by immigrants.
RecommendedOn his Substack (via Stereogum), Vernon replied and said that he felt “quite compelled to respond” and described “ridiculous musician” as a “dope complement” before adding, “I disagree with Megyn Kelly’s politics pretty deeply, but she has done some inspiring things in the course of her career.”
He then addressed Jesse, adding: “Have been to one Red Lobster, in Eau Claire, 27 years ago. Didn’t have security then, and have never hired personal security guards, because I don’t need them. But thanks for thinking I’m that famous … The man seems to think there are only criminals bred outside of the United States. Honestly, thought-provoking.”
Kelly also took aim at Bad Bunny, saying on her show following his fiery anti-ICE speech at the Grammys, “He’s against ICE. I mean, I feel like we might want to send ICE down to his compound. He’s worth a hundred million dollars, reportedly”.
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On Friday (January 30), Vernon released the song ‘Naeem (Can’t You Hear Crying)’, with proceeds going to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota. It’s a live version of the track ‘Naeem’ from Bon Iver’s 2019 album ‘i, i’.
At the ceremony itself, meanwhile, Bon Iver were up for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Alternative Music Performance, but lost out on both awards to The Cure, who won their first Grammys.
