John Rich, Jake Owen, and Kristi Noem speak out about the track
Country music star Zach Bryan has released a snippet of a new, politically charged song titled “Bad News” which includes explicit lyrics critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
The former U.S. Marine posted a one-minute teaser clip of the unreleased song to his Instagram page on Friday, October 3rd.
The song laments a “fading” American dream and unity, with the most controversial lines directly referencing ICE raids and their impact:
“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 also sings, “Got some bad news, thе fading of the red, white and blue.”
The teaser immediately sparked intense debate, drawing praise from those who support his political stance and fierce condemnation from conservative fans and commentators, including an apparent retort from the Department of Homeland Security on social media.
Country patriot John Rich disagrees with Bryan’s stance, but says it’s his right as an American citizen to have a different opinion.
“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. Who knows, maybe there’s a large “anti-law enforcement” wing of the country music fanbase. We’ll soon find out,” he shares on X.
Rich had earlier mocked Bryan’s political turn, joking, “Who’s ready for the Zach Bryan-Dixie Chicks tour? Prob a huge Bud Light sponsorship for this one.” The joke linked Bryan to the Dixie Chicks’ 2003 backlash for criticizing President George W. Bush overseas, and referenced the recent boycott of Bud Light over its use of a transgender spokesperson.
Rich also stated, “Nashville is full of guys like this,” implying a criticism of artists in Music City who lean left.
Jake Owen responded to Rich’s comments with a simple X post, saying “He’s a” with a toolbox emoji, which was widely interpreted as calling Bryan a “tool.”
During a visit in Portland today (Tues, Oct 7th), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a reporter that she’s glad she’s never paid a penny for any of Bryan’s songs.
“I hope Zach Bryan understands how completely disrespectful that song is, not just to law enforcement but to this country, 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 attacks individuals who are just trying to make our streets safe,” she says in a recent interview.
“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. I am going to go out and probably download some Jason Aldean, John Rich, Kid Rock, and Jon Pardi songs.”
BREAKING: Secretary Kristi Noem flames country singer Zach Bryan.
I just asked Noem about the new Zach Bryan song attacking ICE. Noem went scorched-earth calling the woke singer “completely disrespectful” to the law enforcement that protect him.
Secretary Noem: “I hope Zach… pic.twitter.com/MPXuVshPnM
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 7, 2025
Following the backlash, Bryan shared more incite into the lyrics via his Instagram Stories.
“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,” he says. “Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are. We need to find our way back.”
He continues,” 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 asshole, just a 29 year old man who is just as confused as everyone else.
“To see how much shit 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 my best too and we all say things that are misconstrued sometimes.
“Everyone have a great day and I love each and every one of ya!!!”
He adds, “The last few months of my life l’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!”
As of now, the full-length version of “Bad News” has not been officially released to streaming platforms, and no official release date has been announced.
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