DHS Secretary Kristi Noem slams Zach Bryan over ICE lyrics in new song

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem slammed country music artist Zach Bryan on Tuesday after hearing a portion of his upcoming song that featured lyrics seeming to criticize ICE.

The government official criticized Bryan during a recent appearance on “The Benny Johnson Show,” calling the lyrics to his new song “disrespectful.”

“I hope he understands how completely disrespectful that song is, not just to law enforcement but to this country,” she told conservative commentator Benny Johnson. 

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Bryan released a snippet of “Bad News,” his upcoming song, to his Instagram on Oct. 3. The short section featured lyrics about cops and ICE agents busting down Americans’ doors.

The artist sang, “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—–s, ain’t they? 

“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 last stanza in the snippet stated, “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.”

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Noem claimed she was “extremely disappointed and disheartened” after hearing Bryan’s lyrics, accusing him of attacking the very people that try to keep Americans 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.”

Noem added, “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 secretary also mentioned that she would go and listen to songs from more conservative country music artists instead, like Jason Aldean or John Rich. 

“Those guys know what it means to stand for freedom.”

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DHS has mocked Bryan for the song as well. The department shared a video of ICE operations set to the tune of Byran’s other song, “Revival,” on social media Tuesday. 

Bryan responded to the backlash against his “Bad News” snippet in an Instagram post he shared Tuesday, accusing those mad at him of proving how divided America is. 

He wrote, “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.”

Bryan added that when the full song comes out, people will see that there is “more context that hits on both sides of the aisle.”

“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 a——, just a 29 year old man who is just as confused as everyone else,” he said.