United States Department of Homeland Security Responds to Anti-ICE Lyrics in Zach Bryan Song Snippet

On October 3, Zach Bryan posted a snippet of an unreleased song on his Instagram with the caption “the fading of the red white and blue.” “I heard the cops came/Cocky motherfuckers, ain’t they?” Bryan sings on the track, which, according to Stereogum is titled “Bad News.” “And ICE is gonna come bust down your door/Try to build a house that no one builds no more/But I got a telephone/Kids are scared and all alone.”

Bryan’s lyrics have since drawn the ire of the federal government—a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly common. On October 7, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of public affairs for the United States Department of Homeland Security, told TMZ that Bryan should “stick to ‘Pink Skies,’” referencing a song from his 2024 album, The Great American Bar Scene. DHS went on to taunt Bryan by using his song “Revival” in a recruitment video.

Bryan has since responded with a statement clarifying that, when the finished song is out, we will see that “the full context that hits on both sides of the aisle,” as he put it in an Instagram story. Rather than standing up for communities targeted by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Trump administration, he is “just a 29 year old man who is just as confused as everyone else,” he said, and the debacle shows “how divisive a narrative can be when shoved down our throats through social media.” He added, “Left wing or right wing we’re all one bird and American. To be clear I’m on neither of these radical sides.” Read his full statement below.

Under the second Trump administration, ICE has been conducting raids and mass deportations in cities across the United States. Following the news that Bad Bunny, who is Puerto Rican, would perform the halftime show at Super Bowl LX next year, DHS adviser and President Donald J. Trump’s 2024 campaign manager, Corey Lewandowskim said that ICE agents would be present at the event.

Revisit Alphonse Pierre’s Off the Dome column “How ICE Raids Have Impacted Texas Rapper HOODLUM’s Hometown,” and read about Zach Bryan’s “Pink Skies” at No. 79 in “The 100 Best Songs of 2024.”

Zach Bryan:

On the “new” song:

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. Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are. We need to find our way back.

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 bigger-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 misunderstood sometimes.

Everyone have a great day and I love each and every one of ya!!!

Х