Natalie Maines has never been the type to keep quiet, and this week she proved it again. During The Chicks’anniversary tour kickoff forTaking the Long Wayin New York City, Maines took a swipe at President Trump from the stage. The White House responded fast, with a spokesman calling her a“despicable nobody”suffering from a severe case of“Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
If that feels familiar, it should. In 2003, Maines told a London audience the band was ashamed that George W. Bush was from Texas. Country radio pulled their singles, and the fallout inspired“Not Ready to Make Nice,”a song that turned backlash into a Grammy-winning anthem. This time, Maines said she’d give Bush“a big wet kiss”compared to the current president, and the tour even features a video montage of people reacting to criticism of a sitting president.
The debate here isn’t new, but the temperature is. A White House directly responding to a musician is rare, and it’s reigniting the same question fans have argued about for two decades: should entertainers share their politics, or just play the hits? Either way, Maines has made her position clear, and she’s not apologizing for it.
Where do you land? Should artists keep politics off the stage, or is speaking up part of the job? Sound off in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.