Country singer Zach Bryan responded to backlash from conservatives after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claimed his song "Bad News," in which he criticizes President Donald Trump's ongoing immigration crackdown, is "disrespectful" to ICE agents.
Bryan, a Grammy-winning singer and U.S. Navy veteran, wrote lyrics that touch on ICE raids and the erosion of American unity, symbolized by “the fading of the red, white, and blue.”
The lyrics of the snippet are as follows:
"Didn't wake up dead or in jail/Some out-of-town boys been given us hell/I got some bad news/I woke up missing you"
"My friends are all degenerates, but they're all I've got/The generational story of dropping the plot/I heard the cops came/Cocky motherf**kers, ain't they?"
"And ICE is gonna come bust down your door/Try to build a house no one builds no more/But I got a telephone/Kids are all scared and all alone"
"The bars stopped bumping, the rock stopped rolling/Thе middle fingers rising, and it won't stop showing/Got some bad news/The fading of the red, white and blue"
You can hear the preview of the song below.
After the snippet went viral, Noem called Bryan's song "disrespectful" to "every single individual that has stood up and fought for our freedoms," telling TMZ:
"You know, I heard that and listened to a little bit of it and [am] extremely disappointed and disheartened and actually I hope he understands how completely disrespectful that song is not just to law enforcement, but to this country, to every single individual that has stood up and fought for our freedoms."
"He just compromised it all by putting out a product such as that, that attacks individuals who are just trying to make our streets safe."
"So, Zach, I didn't listen to your music. I'm happy about that today. That makes me very happy that I never gave you a single penny to enrich your lifestyle, if you truly believe what that song stands for.”
"But I am probably going to go out and download some Jason Aldean, John Rich songs, Kid Rock, any of those guys. Those guys know what it means to stand up for freedom. Glad I didn't waste any money on Zach."
When asked for her thoughts on the possibility that Bryan, as a celebrity, may have received protection from federal law enforcement, Noem responded that the “thing” about law enforcement is that its members “will even defend and protect people who don’t respect them or stand up for them.”
You can hear what she said in the video below.
Bryan later followed up with this response via his Instagram story:
"I wrote this song months ago. I posted this song three months ago as a snippet. This shows you how divisive a narrative can be when shoved down our throats through social media. This song is about how much I love this country and everyone in it more than anything."
"When you hear the rest of the song, you will understand the full context that hits on both sides of the aisle. Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are. We need to find our way back.”
"I served this country, I love this country and the song itself is about all of us coming out of this divided space. I wasn’t speaking as a politician or some greater-than-thou a**hole, just a 29 year old man who is just as confused as everyone else."
"To see how much sh*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 whatever you believe in just know I’m trying to do my best too and we all say things that are misconstrued sometimes."
He added:
"The last few months of my life I've been scrutinized by more people than I ever thought possible. I feel like I've tried my hardest in so many ways and it's so hard to see where my bearings even are anymore. Been falling off a cliff while trying to grow wings at the same time."
"I am SO proud to have served in a country where we can all speak freely and converse amongst each other without getting doxxed or accosted on the internet or worse; the violence and heartbreak we've faced in the last few months!"
You can see Bryan's response below.
@zachlanebryan/Instagram
@zachlanebryan/Instagram
While Bryan did not directly criticize Noem, others have, viewing her remarks as an attempt to single him out for exercising his right to free speech at a time when the Trump administration is moving to punish critics of its tactics.
Meanwhile, ICE is ramping up its efforts, spending millions of dollars on television ads in select metro areas across the country.
The ads—running in more than a dozen cities, including Chicago, Seattle, and Atlanta—are part of ICE’s $30 billion initiative to hire 10,000 additional deportation officers by year’s end in an effort to supercharge removals.
The funding comes from the $76.5 billion sought by the Trump administration for ICE, which is a tenfold increase over its current budget, as part of the sweeping tax and spending package enacted in July. To accelerate hiring, ICE is offering bonuses of up to $50,000 for new recruits, along with benefits such as tuition reimbursement.
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