Jason Aldean defends beliefs after wife Brittany's anti-Biden post criticized
Brittany Aldean, who is married to country star Jason Aldean and has a large social media following of her own, received criticism this week after sharing photos on Instagram of her family wearing anti-Biden shirts. Now, her husband, who appeared in the post, is defending his beliefs.
Brittany posted several photos of herself wearing a shirt that read "Anti-Biden Social Club" – a play on the popular athlesiure brand Anti-Social Social Club. The Instagram post included photos of her kids, Memphis and Navy, wearing shirts that read "Hidin' from Biden."
Brittany, who has 2 million followers, received nearly 400,000 comments – some positive, but some negative.
In another post, she shared a shot of her son, holding up two thumbs while wearing the "Hidin' from Biden" shirt. "My boy!" her husband commented.
Alden later took to his own Instagram to share about his beliefs. "I will never apologize for my beliefs or my love for my family and country. This is the greatest country in the world and I want to keep it that way. #unapologetic 🇺🇸 #phoenixwasfire," Aldean wrote in a Thursday night post with a photo of himself silhouetted in front of an American flag.
The singer was in one of the photos his wife posted, but he was not wearing an anti-Biden shirt.
On her Instagram stories Thursday, Brittany Aldean also re-shared a TikTok video that praised her for being openly conservative. "Conservatives, it's okay to speak up. Some people won't like you, but most will," she wrote. "You're allowed to have an opinion too."
She also shared that she was invited to the Turning Point USA offices in Phoenix. The organization, founded by Charlie Kirk, is a conservative group with chapters at many U.S. colleges. Southern Poverty Law Center has warned of Turning Point USA's "blooming romance with the alt-right" and its connection to racists.
Kirk shared a photo of himself and Brittany during her visit on Thursday, writing: "Anti-Biden Social Club."
Many country stars sing about patriotism, but keep any strong political opinions to themselves, so as not to disappoint some fans. In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Aldean said he didn't vote in the presidential election, because he had just moved and wasn't registered to vote in the right county.
When asked if he voted for Mr. Trump – whom he said was "busting his butt on the campaign trail" and "digging in to the heartland of America" – Aldean said: "I don't know if I'm going to cross that road with you. That's one subject I do stay away from. Politics is a no-win."
He kept his personal politics close to his vest, like many country artists, but Aldean has since shared more about his views. In August, he applauded fans for not wearing masks at his concert – an issue that has become politicized, though experts say masks have proved to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
His wife has long been open about her views, often posting about her disappointment in the 2020 presidential election results.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, countless country stars are breaking the typically held silence to share their more liberal political views. Country-pop star Kacey Musgraves addressed then-President Trump on Twitter in 2019, criticizing his lack of response to mass shootings. "Don't you hear us, @realDonaldTrump? Don't you hear our pain? You have the power to become a hero. Why don't you take it?"
Taylor Swift has promoted the Equality Act – the bill that extends civil rights protections to gay and transgender Americans – during music videos, awards shows and on social media. She spoke about breaking her political silence in a documentary.
Willie Nelson performed at a Biden fundraiser in 2020 and spoke out about the immigration controversy at America's southern border, calling it "outrageous" and saying "Christians everywhere should be up in arms."