Overview

• Bryan posted a teaser of the unreleased track “Bad News” on Oct. 3 with lyrics referencing ICE raids and a lament about the “fading of the red, white and blue.”
• DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Bryan to “stick to Pink Skies,” and White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson accused him of wanting to “open the gates to criminal illegal aliens.”
• In his response, Bryan said the clip lacks full context, described the song as rooted in love of country, rejected alignment with “either of these radical sides,” and noted it was written months ago.
• DHS Secretary Kristi Noem also criticized the lyric as disrespectful to law enforcement, as media and social platforms amplified polarized reactions from fans and commentators.
• The full song has not been released and no release date has been announced, and the dispute follows Bryan’s record-setting U.S. concert attendance that heightened the teaser’s visibility.