White House Responds to Zach Bryan’s Anti-ICE Song ‘Bad News’

The White House responded after country singer Zach Bryan released a song criticizing immigration raids under the Trump administration.

“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!” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement shared with Newsweek on Tuesday.

Why It Matters

Bryan’s lyrics, which address immigration enforcement, have sparked a polarized response. Conservative and MAGA loyalists have condemned the song, while others have praised Bryan for addressing politically sensitive topics through his music.

The controversy comes as ICE has faced intensified scrutiny amid the Trump administration’s expanded deportation efforts, with critics questioning the agency’s tactics and supporters defending its role in enforcing immigration laws. Bryan’s song taps into this fraught national debate, highlighting the intersection of politics, public sentiment, and artistic expression.

What To Know

Bryan, a Grammy Award-winning singer and U.S. Navy veteran, shared a teaser of his new song on Instagram on Friday. The lyrics reference ICE raids: “ICE is gonna come, bust down your door / Try to build a house no one builds no more / But I’ve got a telephone / Kids are all scared and all alone.”

In the song, Bryan also addresses what he describes as a decline in national unity, singing: “I’ve got some bad news / The fading of the red, white and blue.”

In response to the song, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek: “Stick to Pink Skies, dude,” referencing Bryan’s 2024 hit.

When Did Zach Bryan Release the Song ‘Bad News’?

Bryan released a teaser for his new song, “Bad News,” on Instagram on October 3. As of now, Bryan has not announced a release date for the full version of the track.

Bryan said Tuesday in his Instagram story, “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.

His post continued, “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**hole, just a 29 year old man who is just as confused as everyone else. To see how much sh*t 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 misconstrued sometimes.
Everyone have a great day and I love each and every one of ya!!!”

He continued, “I am so proud to have served in a country where we can all speak freely and converse amongst each other without getting doxed or accosted on the internet or worse; the violence and heartbreak we’ve faced in the last few months.”

Full Lyrics to Zach Bryan’s ‘Bad News’

Didn’t wake up dead or in jail

Some out-of-town boys been giving us hell

I got some bad news, I woke up missing you

My friends are all degenerates but they’re all I’ve got

The generational story of dropping the plot

I heard the cops came, cocky motherf******, ain’t they?

And ICE is gonna come bust down your door

To try and build a house no one builds no more, but I got a telephone

Kids are all scared and all alone

The bar stopped bumping, the rock stopped rolling

The middlе fingers rising and it won’t stop showing

Got some bad news, thе fading of the red, white and blue

What People Are Saying

John Rich, one-half of the country duo Big & Rich, wrote on X: “Who’s ready for the Zach Bryan-Dixie Chicks tour? Prob a huge Bud Light sponsorship for this one.”

Conservative commentator and MAGA loyalist Benny Johnson said on X: “Country superstar Zach Bryan takes aim at ICE, claiming the country is fading in a snippet from his upcoming song ‘Bad News.'”

Update 10/7/25, 12:42 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.

Update 10/7/25, 7:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated with Zach Bryan’s statement.