Clearing the air on his politics. With political division in the U.S. seemingly growing by the day, it’s been reflected in some ways by the artists in country music. While country has never been a genre that has shied away from political issues on both sides of the aisle throughout its history, take Johnny Cash’s “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” or Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” for example, these days, we’ve seen major artists from multiple different subgenres take hard stances when it comes to their politics. On the right, you obviously have major, mainstream names such as Jason Aldean, Justin Moore, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, Parker McCollum and more who have become some of the most outspoken artists who have either performed at President Trump’s inaugurations, Turning Point USA events and more. On the left, there’s been a growing movement in the independent scene and abroad, with major artists like Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Sturgill Simpson, Tim McGraw and more, many taking hard stances against many Republican-dominated spaces in the genre. Lately, it seemed as if the Texan crooner, Charley Crockett, was well on his way to becoming the next outspoken member of the growing Democrat movement in the independent and alternative country scene, but he recently cleared the air in a new video posted on his Instagram. In case you missed it, on Super Bowl weekend, the “Jamestown Ferry” singer, who has never been one to shy away from speaking about what’s on his mind, would find himself in hot water with many after taking aim at the likes of President Trump, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and even Jelly Roll. In case you missed it, this came directly ahead of Bad Bunny’s controversial Super Bowl halftime appearance and ultimately saw Crockett call Trump a “cosplay president” while also calling for both Musk and Theil to be deported in a lengthy Instagram rant. The entire post reads as follows: “They keep saying I’m a cosplay cowboy but they love a cosplay president. Some folks have been on here calling Muhammad Ali a draft dodger when y’all got one in the White House. When I was at the Grammys the other night I saw a guy get up and talk about Jesus, and then I saw Bad Bunny get up there and talk like Jesus. The country music establishment should be taking notes on a Puerto Rican American who hasn’t forgotten his heritage and brought his culture’s traditional music back to the front, showing the world something new with it. The President is a grifter who bankrupted 6 casinos. That’s pretty extraordinary considering it’s a rigged business in favor of the house. The only thing he’s good at is filing lawsuits and portraying a successful business man as a reality TV actor. Last time I checked Elon Musk was an immigrant from South Africa but there he is standing in the White House buying our elections. Let’s deport his a** and send Peter Thiel back with him since they both openly believe in a post democratic society where men of their class are above the law. Forgive me if I have a problem with a 34 time convicted felon running this country when I lost the right to vote or own a weapon for years over marijuana. As long as you’re hating the oppressed and loving your oppressor you’ll never know why our generation is poorer than our parents and grandparents. As a great man once said it’s welfare for the rich and rugged individualism for the poor. If you can sleep at night licking their boots that’s between you and yours, but that type of thinking isn’t freedom. It’s mental slavery. Every single right we have as a people wasn’t handed to us. We had to fight and take it. Judge a man by how he treats the poor and those who he views as being able to do nothing for him. Don’t forget why Muhammad Ali said ‘I am America.’ Remember the coal miners of Harlan County, Kentucky. I believe in what we can be. Ride on.” And then, despite railing against Trump, and other conservatives, Crockett would add in the comment section that he doesn’t believe the current issues in the country don’t boil down to a left or right issue, noting that he believes something else entirely is happening here. “I truly believe this isn’t a left or right issue. There’s something else happening here.” As previously stated, his comments left a lot of fans divided. With right-wingers claiming he’s “gone woke” and left-wingers essentially anointing him as their newest savior of country music, Crockett would clear the air a few weeks later. In an Instagram story that was deleted shortly after going up, the “Welcome to Hard Times” singer would clarify that he doesn’t identify with either party and claim that he’s instead “on the road.” Additionally, he’d take aim at our two-party system and the dishonesty displayed by the majority of politicians. “I’m not on the left. I’m not on the right. I’m on the road. And that’s a hard way to go. There’s no real left in corporate America. Only the party of the dollar with two right wings. The last president who stood up to the military industrial complex lost his life on the streets of Dallas in 1963. Not one single president has been elected outside the two party system in our entire 250 year history. A politician is somebody who collects votes from the poor and accepts money from the rich, promising both protection from the other. They’re dishonest by design. Fenced in, sold off, plate out.” Since then, Crockett has had quite an interesting past month. In addition to announcing his latest album, Age of the Ram, which releases this Friday, and plotting a massive tour behind it, he’d wind up having to cancel his February tour dates in Canada after being denied entry into the country twice, thanks to his prior drug-related felonies in the U.S. Now that the dust has settled on a majority of his politically-charged rants, he decided to post another one last night. Posting a brief monologue from one of his past concerts on his social media accounts, Crockett would once again clarify that he doesn’t identify with either the republican or democrat party, and he never has. Though he wouldn’t go into any specifics regarding the situation, the San Benito native would explain how his family was persecuted by the government under both parties. Taking a fairly classic libertarian stance, Crockett would also remark that his dislike for the government doesn’t change depending on which party is in power, instead simply stating that he “straight up doesn’t like or trust the government.” “My family, we fought the U.S. government for a long time. We were persecuted by the American government through two different administrations, both a republican and a democratic administration. So what I’d like to say is… I don’t dislike the government when this party’s in power or like it when this party’s in power. I just straight up don’t like or trust the government.  I trust you folks for buying tickets to my show, and I think the only reason the government ever does anything honest at all is ’cause we hold them accountable.” Considering the hard line that has been drawn politically by many of the genre’s most outspoken artists nowadays, it’s a bit refreshing to see Crockett not adhere to either of the major political parties in the country. Though many have called his authenticity and “outlaw” identity into question over the years, there’s no denying that a dislike for the government has one of the key characteristics of the outlaw movement over the decades. That being said, not liking the government isn’t exactly a new concept, and while Charley likes to do a lot of talking about this, that and the other, is he really… saying anything? Age of the Ram Tour Dates April 24 – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre with Lee Fields May 29 – Nashville, TN – Music City Rodeo May 30 – Danville, VA – The Pantheon at Caesars Virginia with Honky Tonkin’ Queens May 31 – Scaly Mountain, NC – Bear Shadow Festival June 17 – New Haven, CT – College Street Music Hall with Wild Horses June 18 – La Fayette, NY – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards with Wild Horses Jun 19 – Greenfield, MA – Green River Festival June 20 – Charles Town, WV – The Event Center at Hollywood Casino with Nat Myers June 22 – Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia presented by Highmark with Nat Myers June 23 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit with Nat Myers June 25 – Davenport, IA – Rhythm City Casino Resort with Sierra Hull June 26 – Eau Claire, WI – Blue Ox Music Festival June 27 – Paw Paw, MI – Warner Vineyard with Nat Myers June 28 – Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha with Sierra Hull June 30 – Billings, MT – Downtown Billings July 04 – Calgary, AB – Spruce Meadows with Kashus Culpepper July 08 – Casper, WY – Ford Wyoming Center with Wild Horses July 10 – Saint Paul, MN – Minnesota Country Club Festival July 11 – Alta, WY – Grand Targhee Festival July 12 – Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater with Sierra Hull and Wild Horses July 14 – Troutdale, OR – McMenamins Edgefield with Twin Temple July 15 – Spokane, WA – BECU Live at Northern Quest Resort & Casino with Sierra Hull July 16 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater with Margo Price July 18 – Paso Robles, CA – Vina Robles Amphitheatre with Twin Temple July 27 – Goshen, IN – Elkhart County 4-H Fair Aug 27 – Canyon, TX – The Lumberyard Canyon with The Weary Boys Aug 28 – Fort Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s Texas with The Weary Boys Aug 29 – Fort Worth, TX – Billy Bob’s Texas with Jake Penrod Aug 30 – Helotes, TX – Floore’s Country Store with Jake Penrod Sept 01 – Mobile, AL – Saenger Theatre with Pony Bradshaw Sept 02 – Dothan, AL – The Plant with Pony Bradshaw Sept 04 – Savannah, GA – Johnny Mercer Theatre with Pony Bradshaw Sept 05 – Charlottesville, VA – Ting Pavilion with Nat Myers Sept 09 – Orlando, FL – Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts with Nat Myers  Sept 10 – Hollywood, FL – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with Nat Myers Sept 12 – Robinsonville, MS – Horseshoe Casino’s Bluesville – Bluesville with Nat Myers Sept 14 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live! with Nat Myers Sept 15 – Madison, WI – The Sylvee with Nat Myers Sept 16 – Maryland Heights, MO – Saint Louis Music Park with Durand Jones & The Indications Sept 17 – Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre with Durand Jones & The Indications Sept 19 – Youngstown, OH – Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre with Durand Jones & The Indications Sept 21 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park with Durand Jones & The Indications Sept 22 – North Charleston, SC – Firefly Distillery with Durand Jones & The Indications Sept 24 – Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre with Durand Jones & The Indications Sept 25 – Atlanta, GA – Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park with Durand Jones & The Indications Sept 26 – Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond Festival Sept 29 – Lewiston, NY – Artpark Mainstage Theater with Durand Jones & The Indications Oct 01 – New York, NY – SummerStage in Central Park with Durand Jones & The Indications Oct 02 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage with Durand Jones & The IndicationsThe post “I Just Straight Up Don’t Like Or Trust The Government”: Charley Crockett Says He’s Neither A Republican Nor A Democrat first appeared on Whiskey Riff.