Country Singer Zach Bryan Clarifies His Political Stance After Facing Backlash Regarding Bold Lyrics About ICE

Country singer Zach Bryan responded to the backlash he received after sharing a snippet of a new song in which he condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and police officers.

After Bryan shared the clip of the song on his Instagram, public figures, including country singer John Rich and the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem, clapped back at the Oklahoma native and denounced his lyrics against law enforcement.

In his response, Zach Bryan clarified his stance regarding politics in America while also shedding more light on the meaning behind his new song.

In his Instagram Stories, Bryan shared a lengthy statement after learning that the snippet of his new song caused waves among listeners and individuals online.

According to him, he wrote the song, in which he calls cops "cocky motherf-ckers" several "months ago." As he went on, Bryan explained that the response to his track only proves "how divisive a narrative can be when shoved down our throats through social media."

Despite mentioning the "fading of the red, white, and blue" in the snippet and the caption of his initial post, Bryan clarified that the new single is about "how much I love this country and everyone in it more than anything."

He added that listeners would come to understand the "full context" of the song once it's released.

Bryan, a veteran who served eight years in the United States Navy, explained that he wasn't intending to speak as a political figure or "some greater-than-though as-hole" with his new song.

He continued, "To see how much sh-t it stirred up makes me not only embarrassed, but kind of scared."

Bryan called out the different political parties, insisting both need to find a way to come together for the sake of the United States.

"To be clear," he added, "I'm on neither of these radical sides."

For those who might have missed it, Bryan shared an emotional post that garnered close to 200,000 likes just a few days ago, in which he sang about politics and the current administration.

"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?" he 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."

After the initial post, "Rescue Me" singer Rich slammed Bryan with a shady post on X, formerly Twitter, while DHS staffers blasted Bryan in public interviews.

Per The Blast, Noem branded Bryan's lyrics "disrespectful" during a recent appearance, adding that Bryan "compromised" Americans' freedoms by writing such words.

"... 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.

In another statement, DHS assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin told the Grammy winner to "stick to 'Pink Skies,'" clearly referencing his 2024 track of the same name.

And Bryan isn't the only celebrity who has used his platform and influence to bring attention to the ICE raids happening across the country, and most recently in Chicago, Illinois.

Former Disney star and rising popstar Olivia Rodrigo shared a passionate post on her Instagram, saying she was "deeply upset" by the "violent deportations of my neighbors under the current administration."

She continued, "Treating hardworking community members with such little respect, empathy, and due process is awful. I stand with the beautiful, diverse community of Los Angeles, and with immigrants all across America. I stand for our right to freedom of speech and freedom to protest."

The snippet of Bryan's new song emerged amid the chaos unfolding in Chicago following the DHS's announcement of its latest initiative, "Operation Midway Blitz."

According to an official press release from the Department of Homeland Security, the operation was launched following the death of Katie Abraham, a junior at Ohio University who was killed in a drunk driving hit-and-run caused by "criminal illegal alien Julio Cucul-Bol in Illinois."

"DHS is launching Operation Midway Blitz in honor of Katie Abraham, who was killed in Illinois by a criminal illegal alien who should have never been in our country. This operation will target the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens in Chicago," said McLaughlin.

At the time of this publication, more than 800 arrests have come out of Operation Midway Blitz.