Country music star Zach Bryan has found himself at the center of a fierce national debate after releasing a snippet of his new song, "Bad News," which contains lyrics critical of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. The controversy, which erupted in early October 2025, has drawn in high-profile political figures, government agencies, and fans from across the political spectrum, shining a spotlight on the intersection of art, politics, and public sentiment during a period of heightened immigration enforcement in the United States.
It all began on October 3, when Bryan, a Grammy-winning singer and former U.S. Navy serviceman, posted a short demo of "Bad News" on Instagram, captioning it "the fading of the red white and blue." The lyrics, which include lines like "I heard the cops came / Cocky motherf--kers, ain't they? / And ICE is gonna come bust down your door," immediately sparked a firestorm. Bryan’s song paints a picture of communities living in fear, with "kids... scared and all alone," and laments what he sees as a decline in American unity: "I've got some bad news / The fading of the red, white and blue."
Within days, the backlash from the federal government was swift and public. On October 7, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who had recently toured ICE facilities in Portland, Oregon, and participated in ride-alongs with federal agents in Chicago, voiced her disappointment during an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson. According to the Associated Press, Noem declared, "I hope he understands how completely disrespectful that song is, not just to law enforcement but to this country." She continued, "To every single individual that has 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 didn’t stop there. She said she was glad she had never supported Bryan’s music financially, adding, "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 threw her support behind other country artists like Jason Aldean, Kid Rock, John Rich, and Jon Pardi, whom she praised for "stand[ing] up to freedom." She also called out what she saw as hypocrisy, noting that Bryan benefits from police protection at his concerts while criticizing law enforcement in his music. "That’s what’s so special about law enforcement, is that they don’t pick and choose who they defend when they do their jobs. They will even defend and protect people that don’t respect them or stand up for them," Noem said, as reported by New York Post.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) joined the fray, using Bryan’s 2020 hit "Revival" as the soundtrack to a video montage of ICE and Border Patrol agents conducting raids, detaining migrants, and confronting protesters. The video, posted on October 7, was captioned, "We’re Having an All Night Revival," quoting Bryan’s own lyrics. According to Billboard, this move was widely interpreted as a direct response to Bryan’s criticism of ICE in "Bad News." Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, went so far as to tell TMZ, "Stick to Pink Skies, dude," referencing another of Bryan’s songs.
The White House also weighed in. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson told Newsweek, "While Zach Bryan wants to Open the Gates to criminal illegal aliens and has Condemned heroic ICE officers, Something in the Orange tells me a majority of Americans disagree with him and support President Trump’s great American Revival. Godspeed, Zach!" The pointed reference to Bryan’s song titles made clear that the administration saw the controversy as emblematic of deeper national divides over immigration and law enforcement.
The uproar over "Bad News" comes at a time when ICE raids and mass deportations have become a hallmark of President Donald Trump’s second term. As reported by Pitchfork, ICE operations have intensified in cities across the country, with Illinois Governor JB Pritzker describing the raids as "military style." Corey Lewandowski, a DHS adviser and Trump’s 2024 campaign manager, even announced that ICE agents would be present at the upcoming Super Bowl LX halftime show, which is set to feature Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny.
For his part, Bryan has been quick to clarify his intentions and defend his patriotism. In a lengthy Instagram statement on October 7, he wrote, "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." He continued, "Everyone using this now as a weapon is only proving how devastatingly divided we all are. We need to find our way back."
Bryan emphasized that he is not aligned with any political extreme, stating, "Left wing or right wing, we’re all one bird and American. To be clear I’m on neither of these radical sides." He also expressed a sense of vulnerability and anxiety over the controversy: "To see how much s--t it stirred up makes me not only embarrassed but kind of scared. The last few months of my life I’ve been scrutinized by more people than I ever thought possible. I feel like I’ve tried my hardest in so many ways and it’s so hard to see where my bearings even are anymore. Been falling off a cliff while trying to grow wings at the same time."
Bryan’s words have resonated with many who see his song as a reflection of the country’s fractured state. As he put it, "I am SO proud to have served in a country where we can all speak freely and converse amongst each other without getting doxxed or accosted on the internet or worse; the violence and heartbreak we’ve faced in the last few months!" He added, "To all those disappointed in me on either side of whatever you believe in, just know I’m trying to do my best too and we all say things that are misconstrued sometimes."
The incident has also reignited debates about the use of popular music in political messaging and government propaganda. DHS’s use of "Revival" in a recruitment and enforcement video follows a recent trend of the agency deploying memes and pop culture references to promote its activities—sometimes to the chagrin of artists like Bryan and others, including UK pop singer Jess Glynne and podcaster Theo Von, who have objected to their work being used in pro-ICE content.
As of now, it remains unclear when Bryan will release the full version of "Bad News." But the uproar it has generated is already being seen as a symbol of the broader cultural and political fault lines running through America in 2025. With both sides digging in and the debate over immigration, law enforcement, and free expression only intensifying, Zach Bryan’s "Bad News" has become more than just a song—it’s a flashpoint in a much larger national conversation.
