Photo by Larry Hulst

The String Cheese Incident’s Michael Travis has posted a pair of public apologies for his recent social media comments. Over the weekend, the drummer engaged in a series of long, stream-of-conscious posts on his personal Facebook page that many of his friends, fans and fellow musicians have called antisemitic—and many others have described as hurtful.

The comments came on the heels of a flurry of messages that Travis posted last week which spoke out against Nazis and other white supremacist groups in light of the recent Charlottesville tragedy. The conversation quickly derailed and, in a post that has since been removed, Travis started writing about what, in his words, he describes as “the Jewish banking agenda.”

On Sunday, Travis apologized for his actions, saying:

I feel compelled to put out another apology and recognition of my extreme ignorance and shame regarding my previous statements about Jewish banking. I truly had no idea the banking thing was a central tenant of the Nazi agenda . Unbelievable I know. My understanding of history is obviously seriously lacking..I tend to hunt for conspiracies that mess with everyone’s lives and found that and spouted out without due research or consideration for how my words effect others. I feel like scum. I have nauseas for two days surrounding this. I don’t know how to make amends enough. The internet is a powerful place where words never die and I would hate for those previous comments to be where our greater community places me… I have respect for all people and wish us all freedom and joy and abhor the Nazi agenda . If you feel my sincerity in this matter please help spread This message in places where you see people taking my previous statements as my stance on the matter.

When asked to comment on Travis’ original posts and allegations that they were antisemitic, a String Cheese Incident representative told Relix and Jambands.com, “Michael is mortified by his statements and has no other comment right now other than his most sincere apology.”

Travis also posted an apology on Saturday that stated:

Hi everyone. I know I have caused quite an uproar here in the last few days. I have learned so much about privilege and oppression and the pain of a subjugated people. I have learned about myself. Know that I love everyone and my original post was meant simply to seek for fresh solutions to this abomination of a problem that has raised its head again here. That was truly my only goal: I am so sorry to those I have offended and will take what I’ve learned into all my future days. This new Nazi wave must be stopped. There is no doubt . I pray for a solution that is peaceful where education and humor and compassion can be our ‘battle’ cry. And to police can be counted on to incarcerate those that proliferate this madness. Please accept my apology and recognition of error.

The drummer’s original comments, which many have suggested had strong antisemitic undertones, read, “The Jewish banking agenda is fair irrefutable… do you think I’m anti Semitic for saying so? I don’t. I have many many dears friends that are Jewish. (Even if they never read the Torah but that’s a whole different topic) and have learned so much from them/ is.. to not be allowed to notice trends in industry for fear of being called anti Semitic might be part of the way the Rothchilds and their cronies came to control the worlds monies. Of course there are other bankers that are doing evil money things. But the Zionist banking cartel is a thing… let me know if you can refute its existence.”

Hundreds of Travis’ online followers have responded on his Facebook wall. As of press time, the responses have ranged from anger about his original post to acceptance of his apology.