Trump defends Jason Aldean amid music video backlash

Critics have said that the song promotes violence and lynchings

Former President Donald Trump spoke out in favor of country singer Jason Aldean amid controversy around one of his new music videos.

“Jason Aldean is a fantastic guy who just came out with a great new song. Support Jason all the way. MAGA!!!” the former president wrote on Truth Social on Thursday.

Online critics blasted the “Try That In A Small Town” music video after discovering it was filmed outside the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, where 18-year-old Black teenager Henry Choate was lynched in 1927, as well as where the Columbia race riot was held in 1946.

As of Wednesday, Country Music Television said it refused to air the music video, USA Today reported. His music video was released Friday.

Critics have accused the song of “promoting violence” and lynchings. Mr Aldean responded to the criticism in a lengthy tweet on Tuesday. He said for him, the song “refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences.”

He added, “while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music – this one goes too far.”

The country singer is a mass shooting survivor.

Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, reacted to the song’s lyrics: Mr Aldean “who was on-stage during the mass shooting at a Las Vegas concert in 2017 that killed 60 people and wounded over 400 more - has recorded a song called “Try That In A Small Town” about how he and his friends will shoot you if you try to take their guns.”

Fellow 2024 presidential candidate and Florida Gov Ron DeSantis also chimed in with support for the country singer in an interview on “Fox & Friends”: “We need to restore sanity to this country. I mean, what is going on that that would be something that would be censored? I mean, give me a break. We’re off the rocker here.”

South Dakota Republican Gov Kristi Noem posted a video on Wednesday with her reaction to the music video’s backlash: “I’m shocked by what I’m seeing with people attempting to cancel the song, cancel Jason.” She added, “Thank you for writing a song that America can get behind.”