Why MAGA is outraged at Zach Bryan over ICE lyric

• 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.

Driving the news: Three days ago, Bryan shared the song clip on Instagram captioned: "the fading of the red, white and blue."

• In the preview, he sings: "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----ers, ain't they?"
• Another line: "ICE is gonna come bust down your door. Try to build a house, no one builds no more, well I got a telephone. Kids are all scared and all alone."
• 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.

Here's what to know about the controversy.

Who is Zach Bryan?

Zoom in: Bryan, a Navy veteran from Oklahoma, rose to fame with his debut album "DeAnn" in 2019.

• He 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.
• His representatives did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment on Tuesday.

MAGA rips Zach Bryan lyrics

What they're saying: 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."

• Rich added: "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."

The other side: Bryan had some supporters, too.

• "When you've lost country music star Zach Bryan, it might be time for some self-reflection," wrote political strategist Chris Jackson on X.
• "Country singer and military veteran Zach Bryan drops new song criticizing ICE and the collapse of American democracy," said Michelle Kinney, CEO of the Seneca Project. "This moment calls for moral and artistic courage."

MAGA and music

The big picture: The dispute over his song's lyrics harkens back to other country songs and artists spotlighted over politically controversial lyrics.

• Jason Aldean's "Try That in a Small Town" drew criticism from the left in 2023 over its use of news footage of Black Lives Matter protests combined with lyrics such as: "Try that in a small town. See how far ya make it down the road."
• Republicans largely defended Aldean, framing the song as nonracial. Trump called the music star "a fantastic guy who just came out with a great new song."

Conservatives have spoken out against music stars before over their politics, too.

• The Chicks' (formerly the Dixie Chicks) were criticized after they spoke out against the Iraq War and then-President George Bush.
• Taylor Swift, who started as a country music star, has been accused of being a liberal "woke" figure as her political voice grew.
• Singer Oliver Anthony initially received right-wing praise for his viral song "Rich Men North of Richmond" in 2023, which seemed to be aimed at Democrats in Washington. Anthony later clarified the song targeted political corruption broadly, not specifically the left.

Go deeper: The new playbook for conservative chart-toppers