Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters includes Joe Biden in ‘war criminals’ segment of rock show

Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters believes Joe Biden is a ‘war criminal’ who is ‘fueling the fire in Ukraine.’

Waters, 78, who is currently on a solo tour, branded Biden with the provocative title during a montage played at his rock show.

The British musician got into a heated debate with CNN host Michael Smerconish over the weekend after the journalist questioned Waters’ decision to include Biden in the provocative segment of his show.

Waters justified including Biden in his war criminal montage by saying the US president committed a ‘huge crime’ by not encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate and put an end to ‘this horrific, horrendous war.’ 

The pair also argued over America’s role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as well as the ongoing tension between China and Taiwan. 

Waters believes the US has overstepped by involving itself in these foreign affairs and is pushing ‘liberator propaganda.’ 

Amid his highly political This Is Not a Drill Tour, Waters sat down with Smerconish to discuss the messages depicted during the concert. 

The CNN host began the interview by probing Waters about the ‘war criminal’ label he slapped Biden with. 

‘Well, he’s fueling the war in the Ukraine,’ the Pink Floyd co-founder responded. ‘That is a huge crime. Why won’t the United States of America encourage Zelensky to negotiate, obviating the need for this horrific, horrendous war?’

Smerconish hit back, accusing Waters of ‘blaming the party who got invaded,’ however the musician countered by accusing NATO of forcing Russia’s hand.

‘Well, any war, when did it start? What you need to do is look at the history, and you can say, ‘Well, it started on this day.” You could say it started in 2008,’ Waters argued.

Amid his This Is Not a Drill Tour, Waters sat down with CNN host Michael Smerconish to discuss the highly political messages depicted during the concert

During the concert, Waters shows a montage of politicians he believes are war criminals. He included Joe Biden in the mix, alleging the US president committed a ‘huge crime’ by not encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to negotiate and put an end to ‘this horrific, horrendous war’

Waters also included Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, among the ‘war criminals’

‘This war is basically about the action and reaction of NATO pushing right up to the Russian border, which they promised they wouldn’t do when [Mikhail] Gorbachev negotiated the withdrawal of the USSR from the whole of Eastern Europe.’

Smerconish suggested the US has a history of taking on the role of global ‘liberator,’ which Waters immediately dismissed.

‘You got into World War II because of Pearl Harbor. You were completely isolationists,’ the musician alleged. 

‘Thank god the Russians had already won the bloody war by then. Twenty-three million Russians died, protecting you and me from the Nazi menace.’

Waters alleged that Biden is fueling the conflict in Ukraine and accused NATO of forcing Russia’s hand into war. PICTURED: A sunflower is seen among the debris of a collapsed residential building following a Russian air strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022

Relatives and friends of defenders of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol hold a rally on Sunday, Aug. 7, 2022 demanding to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism after killing Ukrainian prisoners of war

He also addressed the ongoing conflict between China and Taiwan, which saw heightened tensions after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a surprise visit to the self-ruled island nation.

Pelosi issued support for the nation and vowed China ‘would not isolate Taiwan’ by preventing US officials from traveling there. Her remarks came as Beijing increased its military intimidation and launched ballistic missiles towards Taiwan.

‘I would suggest that you… go away and read a bit more, and try to figure out what the US would do if the Chinese were putting nuclear armed missiles into Mexico and Canada,’ Waters told Smerconish.

The journalist hit back: ‘The Chinese are too busy encircling Taiwan as we speak.’

Roger Waters is no stranger to making political statements during his shows

Roger Waters makes a statement against then-President Donald Trump during an October 2016 concert in Indio, California

Waters, unamused by the response, said: ‘Taiwan is part of China. That has been absolutely accepted by the whole of international community since 1948. If you don’t know that you aren’t reading enough.

‘You are believing your side’s propaganda. You can’t have a conversation about human rights and Taiwan without actually doing the reading.’

‘The Chinese didn’t invade Iraq and kill a million people in 2013,’ Waters added. ‘Who have the Chinese invaded and slaughtered?’

‘Their own,’ Smerconish replied, seemingly referring to the Uyghurs and other mostly-Muslim populations that Beijing has placed in ‘re-education camps,’ subjected forced sterilization and forced label.

Waters slammed Smerconish’s response, saying: ‘Bullocks! That’s absolute nonsense! Absolute nonsense!’ 

Waters also accused the US of spreading propaganda about the conflict between China and Taiwan, which was heightened by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent visit to the island nation. Pelosi, left, and Taiwanese President President Tsai Ing-wen, right, are pictured during a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 2022

China ratcheted up its military intimidation of Taiwan Thursday by firing ballistic missiles which flew over the island and landed in Japanese waters 

The musician’s comments sparked backlash on Twitter, with many suggesting his allegations were completely ridiculous.

‘What the Division Bell is Roger Waters on?’ Alex Bristow, deputy director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Defense, Strategy and National Security Program tweeted. ‘He’s clearly been living on The Dark Side of the Moon.

‘Taiwan has never been ruled by communist China.’

Lahav Harkov, Diplomatic Correspondent at The Jerusalem Post, said: ‘Rule of thumb: Anything Roger Waters says about geopolitics is wrong.’

The musician’s comments sparked backlash on Twitter, with many suggesting his allegations were completely ridiculous

‘Hey @rogerwaters, first you say there won’t be a war, because Putin is too good,’ tweeted Olexander Scherba, former Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria.

‘Than (sic) there is a war – and you say well, it’s a war for a good reason. Why don’t you already move to Russia, you gutless, heartless, merciless, lost little person?’

Olga Lautman, co-host of the Kremlin File podcast, replied to Scherba, adding: ‘According to the Chinese garbage propaganda he was spewing about Taiwan it seems he has a choice of where to move. Russia and China. Wonder if he is on the payroll of both.’

‘Seems to be a shortage of Taiwanese analysts or even just citizens in the contact list of CNN. And a shortage of intellectual flexibility in the mind of Roger Waters,’ echoed journalist and author Jojje Olsson. 

Some internet users rushed to defend the musician, alleging he was just ‘exposing CNN propaganda’

Some internet users rushed to defend the musician, alleging he was just ‘exposing CNN propaganda.’

‘Roger Waters, co-founder of Pink Floyd, exposes CNN anti-China propaganda!’ wrote Dominic Lee, a Hong Kong-based law maker and tech entrepreneur. 

‘@Rogerwaters attempts to educate @smerconish of CNN about the propaganda they spread,’ Johnny Akzam, a failed congressional candidate from Minnesota wrote.

‘Look at how Roger Waters (founder of Pink Floyd) demolished CNN lies and propaganda in 90 seconds,’ a Somalia-based Twitter user added. 

‘I wish our Somali politicians and citizens would learn how to confront those who disrespect our integral territory and sovereignty with force.’