Two days ago, country star Zach Bryan released a one-minute snippet of his latest song “Bad News.” Keep in mind, the song has not been released yet on any platform. You can’t stream it or download it yet! And it’s already causing so much commotion. You see, Zach is a white guy and a veteran. He’s taken at least one photo with Donald Trump. He was supposed to be MAGA, right? Demographically speaking, Zach Bryan should be singing sh-t like “Try That In A Small Town” or whatever pro-lynching bullsh-t anthem he can come up with. Instead, Zach’s new song refers to cops as “motherf–kers” and criticizes what ICE is doing to America. Well, MAGA has already started losing their minds. Zach’s song snippet has already garnered a reaction from DHS’s Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs, who told Zach “Stick to ‘Pink Skies’.” Axios did a lengthy story about the larger MAGA meltdown and more:
Country music star Zach Bryan is facing backlash from fans and MAGA listeners over a new song snippet that criticizes Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Bryan joins a chorus of artists and celebrities speaking out against President Trump’s agenda and immigration policy. Singers such as Bad Bunny, Shakira and Doechii have specifically called out Trump’s immigration policies. Bad Bunny, picked by the NFL to headline next year’s Super Bowl LX halftime show, fell under scrutiny from MAGA over his comments on immigration enforcement.
ICE has faced widespread scrutiny for its raids, leading to widespread protests and legal challenges nationwide. The White House has been highly critical of anti-ICE backlash, saying it leads to violence against law enforcement.
Three days ago, Bryan shared the song clip on Instagram captioned: “the fading of the red, white and blue.” The song, seemingly titled “Bad News,” comes days after Bryan reportedly shattered the record for the largest ticketed concert in U.S. history.
The White House responded to the controversy with puns of Bryan’s songs: “While Zach Bryan wants to Open The Gates to criminal illegal aliens and has Condemned heroic ICE officers, Something in the Orange tells me a majority of Americans disagree with him and support President Trump’s great American Revival. Godspeed, Zach!” said spokesperson Abigail Jackson in a statement.
Zach Bryan has previously described himself as a “total libertarian.” But he hasn’t waded into politics often, even as his fan base includes many who lean right. In 2023, during backlash over Bud Light, Bryan warned fans against “insulting transgender people.” In 2022, he told The New York Times that crowds should avoid vulgar phrases against then-President Biden. Bryan, who has 25.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify, typically offers previews of unreleased tracks on social media.
Listeners immediately ripped Bryan’s latest snippet as a betrayal of conservative values. “Stick to Pink Skies, dude,” wrote Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at DHS, in an X post, referencing another Bryan song.
“He just drew over 112,000 fans to what became the largest concert in U.S. history last week,” podcaster Benny Johnson wrote on X. “Now, that will never happen again. When will they learn?”
“No name Country artist Zach Bryan, slams ice for deporting criminal illegal immigrants,” wrote Mike Engleman on X. “It’s a stretch calling him an ‘artist’ because he has no talent!”
“Who’s ready for the Zach Bryan-Dixie Chicks tour?” country music singer John Rich wrote on X. “Prob a huge Bud Light sponsorship for this one. Zach Bryan has every right to record a song bashing law enforcement, and fans have every right to keep supporting his career, or not. Capitalism isn’t cancellation.”
[From Axios]
There were lots of references to the Dixie Chicks – who now go by The Chicks – because of what happened in 2003, when Republicans canceled them. Except that what really happened was that the music industry ended up supporting the Chicks, Rick Rubin produced their Grammy-winning comeback album (Taking The Long Way) and they continued to sell millions of albums and headline soldout concerts. AND they got to work with Beyonce! Don’t threaten Zach Bryan with a good time, you know? I feel like more artists need to understand that there’s actually a market for this too.
Bryan posted something on his IG Stories, saying in part: “Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are. “We need to find our way back.” I love this country and the song itself is about all of us coming out of this divided space… To see how much s–t it stirred up makes me not only embarrassed but kind of scared. Left wing or right wing we’re all one bird and American. To be clear I’m on neither of these radical sides. To all those disappointed in me on either side of what you believe in just know I’m trying my best too and we all say things that are misconstrued sometimes.”
F YEAH!!! Country singer and military veteran Zach Bryan drops new song criticizing ICE and the collapse of American democracy.
This moment calls for moral and artistic courage — MORE OF THIS!!! pic.twitter.com/RFbG35Ol1Q
— Michelle Kinney (@MichelleKinney) October 6, 2025
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- SUNRISE FL – JULY 22: Zach Bryan performs during the Quittin Time Tour at The Amerant Bank Arena on July 22, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. Copyright: xmpi04x,Image: 891723617, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/mpi04/Avalon
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- 58th Academy Of Country Music Awards at The Ford Center at The Star Featuring: Zach Bryan Where: Frisco, Texas, United States When: 11 May 2023 Credit: imageSPACE/Media Punch/INSTARimages
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- Zach Bryan performs during The Quittin Time Tour Tour at The Amerant Bank Arena. Featuring: Zach Bryan Where: Sunrise, Florida, United States When: 22 Jul 2024 Credit: Robert Bell/INSTARimages
This song feels Punk to me. I love it!
I’m a Black woman from the east coast and listening to his first album even I knew he wasn’t maga. Someone who admires Bruce Springsteen and UNDERSTANDS Bruce would never.
Benny Johnson should focus on his checks from Putin and that glass closet he’s locked himself in.
Had never heard of him (don’t do country), but now I might have to buy his song. Also, props for this line: “Left wing or right wing we’re all one bird”
“When will they learn?” Learn what? To bow down to this fascist MAGA violence? Never, motherf–kers.
I’m glad that he sees reality as so few country acts right now seem to, but FFS **enough with the BoTh SiDeS** crap he pulled. No, no, no, no, not ever, but especially not now when the GOP is a fully fascist party. There is no left side equivalent.
Country music used to have a stronger strand of protest within it but it seems to have fallen away as country music, like so much other music, has become corporatized and sanitized of the humanity that is supposed to be producing the art.
Frankly, I loved SadBeige’s poetic take on ICE. Something about the way she framed it was exactly how I’d already thought, but she made it *feel* so much more personal.
I usually only listen to The Chicks and Cam for country music but I’ve added a few of his songs in the past year. I really like his music and I’m so pleased that he came out with this. I have been worried that he was secretly MAGA.
There is no radical left-wing in this country.
There’s “left-of-center is the hardest we’ll fight” politics + “jesus, but I’m annoying as hell even to people who agree with me. Right on!” politics + ” ‘I don’t belong to an organized party – I’m a Democrat’ (Will Rogers) ” politics +.
I like + appreciate very much what this guy is doing, but it’s past time for him to realize there’s no more time for “left or right are both at fault” libertarian bullsh*t.
We Dems may be annoying, but we’re not the ones shooting projectiles at priest’s heads from a rooftop OR zip-tying little kids and separating them from their mothers OR handing out bribes to our pals OR blasting poor Venezuelan fishermen out of the water OR enriching our families with grift + graft from the public purse OR taking food out of the mouths of mothers and infants OR corrupting the justice department OR …
I have a lot of respect for artists like him and Ariana Grande who aren’t afraid to call out this forked up administration – especially given how many other huge stars have chosen to remain quiet in the face of the rise of Christo-fascism in this country. I will be streaming this song!