DHS Secretary Torches Zach Bryan Over 'Disrepectful' Lyrics About ICE, Cops, And America

The lyrics to a new song shared by country superstar Zach Bryan have caused a massive wave of backlash online and among conservative listeners.

Just last week, the 29-year-old posted a snippet of a new song believed to be called "Bad News," in which he takes aim at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), law enforcement, and the United States.

While Zach Bryan's post has garnered nearly 200,000 likes, it has also drawn a wave of criticism from high-profile individuals. Fellow country singer John Rich has slammed the Oklahoma native, and now, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has made it clear she's not a fan of Bryan's new song either.

While appearing on "The Benny Johnson Show," as reported by Fox News, DHS Secretary Noem wasted no time labeling the lyrics to Bryan's new song as "disrespectful" to law enforcement and the USA.

According to a previous report from The Blast, Bryan ignited a firestorm days ago when he shared a brief clip of a new song with bold lyrics about politics in America.

"My friends are all degenerates, but they're all I got, the generational story of dropping the plot. I heard the cops came, Cocky motherf-ckers, ain't they?" Bryan sang.

"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," he continued. "The bar stopped bumping, the rock stopped rolling, the middle fingers rising, and it won't stop showing. Got some bad news. The fading of the red, white, and blue."

Elsewhere, during her appearance on "The Benny Johnson Show," Noem continued to express her disappointment in Bryan for criticizing systems that she claims are supposed to keep America safe.

"To every single individual that has ever 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," she said.

And she didn't stop there. Noem took it a step further, taking a personal dig at the "I Remember Everything" singer.

"So, Zach, I didn't listen to your music. I'm happy about that today. Today, that makes me very happy, that I never once gave you a single penny to enrich your lifestyle if you truly believe what that song stands for," she said, later encouraging country music fans to listen to more right-leaning singers like Jason Aldean and Rich.

"Those guys know what it means to stand for freedom," she added.

In another statement to TMZ, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin also expressed her negative feelings about Bryan's latest work, telling the Grammy winner to "stick to 'Pink Skies,'" referencing a single from his 2024 album, "The Great American Bar Scene."

On X, formerly Twitter, the official Homeland Security social media account shared a 30-second clip featuring footage of what appears to be ICE agents and other law enforcement officers arresting individuals across the United States, set to Bryan's song "Revival."

In an apparent attempt to show they were unbothered by Bryan's pointed lyrics, DHS also posted a link to the ICE hiring site, highlighting benefits like a $50,000 signing bonus and $60,000 student loan repayment.

On X, fellow country singer Rich was another public figure who responded fiercely to Bryan's scathing lyrics.

He mocked Bryan, writing, "Who's ready for the Zach Bryan-Dixie Chicks tour?"—a clear reference to The Chicks' own past political controversies.

He later wrote, "Prob a huge Bud Light sponsorship for this one," pointing to Bud Light's controversial decision to collaborate with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April 2023.

For his part, Bryan seemed to respond to the backlash on October 7 with a cryptic Instagram post featuring a poem about a radical, alternative way of living.

"So, friends, every day do something that won't compute. Love the Lord. Love the world. Work for nothing. Take all that you have and be poor," he wrote in the caption.

"Love someone who does not deserve it. Denounce the government and embrace the flag. Hope to live in that free republic for which it stands. Give your approval to all you cannot understand. Praise ignorance, for what man has not encountered he has not destroyed," he finished.