DHS trolls Zach Bryan with ICE raid video set to his own song 'Revival' in response to 'Bad News'

WASHINGTON, DC: Zach Bryan’s latest song preview has struck a nerve — not just with fans, but with the Department of Homeland Security.

After the 29-year-old singer shared a snippet of his upcoming track 'Bad News' on Instagram over the weekend, featuring lyrics critical of ICE raids, Homeland Security officials responded swiftly.

DHS claps back at Zach Bryan with bold video response

Tricia McLaughlin, DHS Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs, delivered a sharp rebuke on behalf of the agency, saying simply, “Stick to ‘Pink Skies.’”

But the department didn’t stop there. DHS released a provocative video set to Bryan’s 2020 hit 'Revival' on October 7. The footage shows ICE and Border Patrol agents clashing with protesters, including scenes of officers launching projectiles into crowds and making mass arrests during heated standoffs.

The montage features swarms of ICE agents raiding communities, detaining individuals, and leading them into vans or detention centers.

As Bryan’s lyrics play — “Lord, forgive us, my boys and me/We're havin' an all-night revival/Someone call the women and someone steal the Bible/For the sake of my survival/Baptize me in a bottle of Beam, put Johnny on the vinyl” — images of gas-masked officers and chaotic protests flash across the screen.

DHS captioned the video: “We’re Having An All Night Revival,” a pointed nod to the very lyrics Bryan once wrote.    

Zach Bryan weighs in on controversy over his preview of 'Bad News'

Zach Bryan addressed the growing controversy surrounding his song 'Bad News' in a series of candid Instagram Stories on Tuesday, October 7. The singer clarified that the song wasn’t written as a political attack but rather as a reflection of his deep love for the country and its people.

“I wrote this song months ago. I posted this song three months ago as a snippet,” Bryan explained. “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."

He emphasized that the track was meant to resonate with people across the political spectrum, not fuel division. "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."

The wave of criticism left him unsettled. "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."

He added, "To see how much s**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." Bryan made it clear he's not aligning with either political extreme. "To be clear I’m on neither of these radical sides," he wrote. "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."

Bryan opened up about the emotional toll it’s taken, saying, “Everyone have a great day and I love each and every one of ya!!! The last few months of my life I’ve been scrutinized by more people than I ever thought possible."

He continued, “I feel like I’ve tried my hardest in so many ways and it’s so hard to see where my bearings even are anymore. Been falling off a cliff while trying to grow wings at the same time.”

Despite the backlash, Bryan reaffirmed his unwavering patriotism, shaped in part by his eight years of service in the US Navy.

He concluded, "I am SO proud to have served in a country where we can all speak freely and converse amongst each other without getting doxxed or accosted on the internet or worse; the violence and heartbreak we’ve faced in the last few months! God speed ol sons I’m out!"   

Zach Bryan criticizes ICE raids in the preview of his new song 'Bad News'

Zach Bryan blends his signature storytelling with biting social commentary, offering a raw reflection on personal loss, societal unrest, and growing disillusionment with American institutions in his politically charged track 'Bad News.'

The song opens with a familiar tone for Bryan, gri,tty and introspective, as he sings, "Didn't wake up dead or in jail / Some out-of-town boys been giving us hell/got some bad news/I woke up missing you."

He paints a picture of rough-edged camaraderie and generational struggle, "My friends are all degenerates but they’re all I got/The generational story of dropping the plot/I heard the cops came/Cocky mother***** ain’t they?"

As the track progresses, Bryan shifts to a more pointed political critique, directly calling out federal immigration enforcement: "And ICE is gonna come bust down your door/Try to build a house no one builds no more/But I got a telephone."

The chorus channels defiance and frustration, with Bryan lamenting the state of the nation: "The middle finger’s rising and it won’t stop showing/I got some bad news/The fading of the red, white, and blue."