Zach Bryan, the country music star and former Navy serviceman, has officially fired back at former South Dakota Governor and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after she publicly slammed his new demo, “Bad News,” calling it “disrespectful” and “anti-ICE.”
Bryan dropped a short preview of Bad News, and it immediately sparked a pretty intense conservative backlash because of lyrics referencing ICE raids and police. The track includes some sharp lines that got people talking, like, “I heard the cops came / Cocky motherf**kers, ain’t they? / And ICE is gonna come bust down your door” per Daily Dot.
He even captioned the Instagram clip with a line from the song: “the fading of the red white and blue.” While critics and supporters seemed to agree the track was clearly anti-law enforcement, Bryan was quick to disagree. To be fair, he claimed the lyrics were just a reflection of his complicated feelings about the country he served in the Navy, insisting it was a personal story and not meant as an insult to anyone.
Zach Bryan clapped back at Kristi Noem
On the other hand, Kristi Noem wasn’t having any of it. She was reportedly “disappointed and disheartened” after hearing the demo and went straight to conservative podcast host Benny Johnson’s show to argue that the lyrics were completely unfair to those who wear that uniform. She said, “I hope he understands how completely disrespectful that song is, not just to law enforcement but to this country.”
She didn’t stop there, adding that by putting out a “product such as that, that attacks individuals who are just trying to make our streets safe,” he had compromised everything, “every single individual that has stood up and fought for our freedoms” has done.
She even claimed that Bryan was being a hypocrite because, according to her, police worked security at his shows, and that’s what’s so special about law enforcement: “they don’t pick and choose who they defend.” However, as a former Law Enforcement Officer, it sounded like he was talking about a particular branch, and that doesn’t really affect everyone else.
She made it clear she was not a fan, stating, “Zach, I didn’t listen to your music. I’m happy about that today. That makes me very happy that I never gave you a single penny to enrich your lifestyle, if you truly believe what that song stands for.” Instead, she praised other country stars like Jason Aldean, John Rich, Jon Pardi, and Kid Rock, saying, “Those guys know what it means to stand up to freedom.”
Moving forward, Bryan took to his own Instagram Story to defend the track and, more importantly, himself. He argued that critics were ignoring the song’s broader message. He went straight for his credentials, emphasizing his military service: “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, making it clear he’s an American who’s done his part.
He explained that if people would just wait for the full song, they’d understand that he’s actually trying to talk about unity, not division. “When you hear the rest of the song, you will understand the full context that hits on both sides of the aisle,” he noted. This time around, he took aim at the reaction itself, saying that “Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are. We need to find our way back.” It feels like night and day when you compare his message of wanting unity to Noem’s attack, which really just fueled the fire.
He wrapped it up by making it personal again, but in a relatable way. He said he 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.” He’s just a guy who uses his voice, and whether you’re left-wing or right-wing, he thinks “we’re all one bird and American… I am SO proud to have served in a country where we can all speak freely.”
Published: Oct 9, 2025 05:20 pm