Kristi Noem Critiques Zach Bryan’s New Song

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has voiced her criticism of country singer Zach Bryan over his latest song, which seems to take a jab at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and former President Donald Trump’s deportation policies.

The snippet of the unreleased song, titled “Bad News,” was shared on Bryan’s Instagram last Friday. As it stands, he has yet to reveal when the complete version will come out.

In the short clip, he sings lyrics that mention issues with law enforcement: “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?”

He then adds, “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 bar stopped bumping, the rock stopped rolling, the middle finger’s rising, and it won’t stop showing. Got some bad news, the fading of the red, white, and blue.”

Noem discussed Bryan’s snippet during an appearance on “The Benny Johnson Show,” labeling the song “disrespectful.”

“I hope he understands how completely disrespectful that song is, not just to law enforcement but to this country,” Noem stated. “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 went on, saying, “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.”

The Department of Homeland Security also seemed to mock the 29-year-old artist by sharing a montage of ICE operations set to Bryan’s previous song, “Revival,” in a post on X.

In response, Bryan defended his song in a subsequent Instagram post, indicating it was created “months ago” and intended to express love for the country rather than make a political statement.

“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. I served this country, I love this country, and the song itself is about all of us coming out of this divided space,” he wrote. “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.”

Bryan concluded by saying that the complete song offers “more context that hits on both sides of the aisle.”