Known by many as the “King of Country,” legendary musician George Strait has been a staple of the country music scene for just shy of five decades.
Over the course of his long career Strait has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the genre. Hits like “Amarillo by Morning” and “Carrying Your Love With Me” are probably what he’s most well known for but Strait has been prolific in his music-making, starting in 1976 and never really stopping – his 31st studio album, Cowboys and Dreamers released September 2024. He’s even got his family involved in the past.
But outside of his music fans have often found themselves wondering what George Strait’s politics are. Has he ever really made his political leanings known publicly? And if so, which way does he lean?
What are George Strait’s politics?
Strait is known for keeping his views on politics quiet – In fact it’s downright impossible to find examples of him openly talking about his political beliefs, he’s notorious for keeping tight-lipped on the subject matter. Of course, we can speculate and look for evidence elsewhere that would certainly suggest Strait leans a certain way, but you’ll never catch him talking about it with anyone.
If we were to make a huge overgeneralization we could say that, as a genre, country music tends to appeal more to the Republican side of the voter base. Plenty of country singers have voiced their political beliefs both in and out of the music. A recent study confirmed that Republicans and conservatives were more likely to flock to country music while Democrats and liberals were more likely to be repelled by it.
That’s an interesting bit of science eh? But it’s not enough to confirm Strait’s politics – just because he works within a Republican dominated genre does not mean he is one. There are plenty of country musicians and country fans who voted Democrat and consider themselves liberal. Beyonce is a country musician now so it just goes to show that the genre still has space for musicians and fans from all sides of the political spectrum.
One of the few examples of Strait being political came earlier this year. In July, playing to a crowd of 47,000 at Ford Field a few hours after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump Strait saluted law enforcement and alluded to the incident although didn’t mention any names.
“This song we’re going to do especially for all you men and women out there who wear the badge, and say how much we appreciate you… Thank you for coming when we need you, when we call you. We appreciate that very much, especially after today.”
His decision to mention the attempt on Trump’s life is probably the most political we’ll ever see him get. He also allegedly donated $240 to the Republican Senatorial Committee in 1992, although the sources claiming this are pretty flimsy.
George Strait seems to be set on remaining apolitical when in public, but we suspect he’s a Republican voter. The evidence certainly points in that direction although we’ll likely never get 100% confirmation.