The tremendous success of country star Jason Aldean’s song about small-town vigilantism sheds light on why Donald Trump continues to maintain a strong hold on conservative America. Aldean’s confrontational track, “Try That in a Small Town,” echoes Trump’s message that the multicultural, urban left poses a grave threat to conservative America, warranting any action necessary to defend against it. In Aldean’s lyrics and music video, this defense takes the form of vigilante force combating what he portrays as crime and chaos in major cities. Similarly, Trump’s political tactics involve breaking national norms and potentially laws in order to “make America great again.”
Like Trump, Aldean taps into the deep-seated anxiety among Republican base voters that their values are being marginalized in an increasingly diverse and urbanized America. Both men convey the belief that extreme measures, even violence, are justified to prevent their displacement. Patrick Brown, a fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, explains that the concept of a cultural counterrevolution has taken hold among mainstream conservative voters. It is not surprising, then, that country music serves as a channel for these ideas.
Aldean’s aggressive anthem, which saw a significant increase in downloads after facing criticism, follows in the footsteps of other country songs that push back against challenges to the status quo in America. Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” and Merle Haggard’s “The Fightin’ Side of Me” exemplify this resistance. These songs became conservative anthems during the presidencies of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, as these leaders shaped the Republican Party in opposition to societal changes.
In the present moment, Trump positions himself as the last line of defense against shadowy forces that his supporters believe threaten them, including “globalist elites,” the “deep state,” and urban minorities and undocumented immigrants. Aldean, though a staunch Trump supporter, expresses an attitude rather than a specific political program. Nevertheless, both Aldean and Trump tap into the concerns of conservative white Christians, particularly those in the small towns that Aldean idealizes, who feel like victims of bias in a society that is becoming more diverse, secular, and urban.
Polls consistently show that a significant percentage of Republicans believe Christianity in the U.S. is under assault and that bias against white people is as big a problem as discrimination against minorities. Many also believe that men are punished for acting like men and that white men face the most discrimination in American society. Trump’s connection to the Republican electorate is based on the perception that he shares these concerns and will fight to address them.
A recent national survey showed that 60% of Republicans described the January 6th riot at the Capitol as a legitimate political protest. Only a small fraction believed that Trump committed a crime during his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. This revisionist view of the events helps explain why Aldean’s song, which glorifies violent fantasies of punishing those who disrespect the flag or law enforcement, resonates with Trump supporters. The video for the song even features footage of protests, visually highlighting the notion that the law is meant to protect certain groups while suppressing others.
Aldean’s song reflects the growing sense of siege that is gripping the right-wing. It mirrors the militant mindset within the GOP base, which has pushed Republican leaders to adopt more aggressive tactics against Democrats and liberal interests across the board since Trump’s defeat in 2020. Republican-controlled states are implementing policies that were once deemed unimaginable, such as installing razor wire along the border or considering impeachment for President Biden. Trump himself promises even greater escalation if he is reelected, pledging to use federal power to seek retribution against his perceived enemies.
Republicans view themselves as defending against a culture war waged by liberals in the media, academia, corporations, and advocacy groups. They believe that they are being attacked, not the aggressors. This fear of displacement in a changing America has become the driving force behind the GOP electorate, forming what has been called the “coalition of restoration.” From the beginning of his political career, Trump tapped into this sentiment with his promise to “make America great again.” Aldean similarly longs for a restored America, a sentiment he expressed at a concert, saying he wants the country to return to the way it was before all the current turmoil.
As the 2024 GOP presidential race approaches, candidates compete to prove their commitment to fighting the left and reclaiming the lost America that Aldean’s song and others yearn for.
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