I’ve been fortunate to build a career as a working musician in the music industry for more than thirty years now.
Over the course of my career, I’ve experienced the music business from the inside on every level. I&#8217;ve written, produced, and performed chart-topping songs not only for myself, but many other platinum artists.
What I’ve seen is simple: the system isn’t working the way it should for the people who actually perform the music.
Because of a loophole in the law, terrestrial radio has managed to avoid paying artists for the use of their music for more than a century. Today, American performers are being asked to give their work away under outdated rules, while everyone else in the chain gets paid. That imbalance doesn’t just hurt artists — it devalues the very creativity that sustains our culture. When music plays on the radio, songwriters and publishers are paid, but performers receive absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile, Big Radio corporations like iHeart, Cumulus, and others pull in nearly $14 billion each year, selling advertising wrapped around the performer&#8217;s talent and work. They’ve built their entire business on the backs of American artists, yet still tell us we should be grateful for the “exposure” that comes from being played on the radio. &#8220;Shut up and be happy that we&#8217;re playing your music! You have no right to the income stream.&#8221; This is their mantra.
Don’t get me wrong: radio has played an important role in my career as a country artist, and I appreciate the foundational place it holds in American music. There’s no better feeling than hearing your song on the radio for the first time. But gratitude for the radio’s role doesn’t mean we should accept a system that only lets one side of the table participate in the success.
As of today, the United States is the only major democracy that does not pay artists when their music is played on terrestrial radio — putting us in league with countries like Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. So would it be fair to say we have a &#8220;Communist business model when it comes to terrestrial radio in America?&#8221;
This question answers itself.
What’s more, many nations that do pay artists are now withholding hundreds of millions of dollars owed to American performers because our own system refuses to recognize their rights. Money that should be coming home to American artists is instead being held overseas.
To me, this issue is just common sense: If you use the music and leverage it to make money for your company, you should pay the artist. That’s how things work in this country. If you work hard, your work deserves to be honored with fair pay. That’s a core American value — AM/FM radio knows this, but they have the benefit of antiquated rules allowing them to take a free ride. 
So they do.
They’ve protected that free ride for decades with armies of lobbyists and political contributions designed to keep the system just the way it has always been. But now, we have a President who understands this fight.
President Trump knows the entertainment business because he’s worked in it, and he has been a true friend to American artists. In 2018, he signed the Music Modernization Act to improve compensation and copyright laws for the digital era. Now, he’s supporting the next step: a bill that will finally ensure artists are paid fairly when their music is played on terrestrial radio.
The American Music Fairness Act, introduced by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the Senate and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) in the House, would require AM/FM radio corporations to start paying performers, just as digital radio already does. Royalties would go directly to artists.
What about the mom and pop stations? Well, small, independent broadcasters would pay only a few hundred dollars a year for unlimited access to music, and Big Radio would finally pay its fair share.
It’s no surprise this bill is already supported by conservative policy groups, more than 300 major recording artists, and community broadcasters alike. In December, Gene Simmons of Kiss testified before the Senate on behalf of the American Music Fairness Act, telling lawmakers, “If you are against this bill, you are un-American.” I believe he’s right.
All of us deserve an America where hard work still matters, and fair pay still means something. Passing the American Music Fairness Act would send that message clearly. It would tell the world that we stand with artists — not with the Big Radio companies that continue to profit by exploiting them.
It’s time for Congress to take action and finally right this ship. No more delays. Send the American Music Fairness Act to President Trump’s desk and deliver a victory for every American who believes that hard work and fair pay go hand in hand.
* * *
John Rich is an American country music songwriter, artist, and producer, best known as one half of the duo Big &amp; Rich.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
Editor&#8217;s note: The title of this article has changed.

Volunteer Jam: A Musical Salute To Charlie Daniels

The Billion-Dollar Radio Free Ride Faces A Reckoning

Congress

Economics

Entertainment

John Rich

Marsha Blackburn

Money

Radio

U.S. Senate

As thousands of Nashville residents in Davidson County remain in the cold and dark without power as single-digit temperatures fast approach this weekend, many, including country star John Rich, are now wondering what went wrong. Friday will be day six without power for 71,000 Nashville Electric Service (NES) customers after Winter Storm Fern.
The singer, who cofounded the duo Big &amp; Rich, said what&#8217;s happening in Nashville is &#8220;very California.&#8221;
&#8220;This is incompetence on a level kind of like what you saw in California when they didn&#8217;t have enough water to put out the fires,&#8221; Rich said on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6388545727112">Fox News</a> Friday morning.
California had fire hydrants running dry during the devastating wildfires in 2025, the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-17/la-fires-water-system">reported</a>. For many, that failure fell squarely on California leadership.
NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin said last August she was focused on saving Nashville&#8217;s tree &#8220;canopy&#8221; instead of trimming trees that were too close to power lines. Yet another example of leadership failure as Davidson County continues to have the highest power <a href="https://poweroutage.us/area/state/tennessee">outages</a> in the state.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-electric-ceo-touted-tree-hugging-over-aggressive-trimming-months-before-massive-ice-storm">Nashville Electric CEO Touted Tree-Hugging Over Aggressive Trimming Months Before Massive Ice Storm</a>
Rich made it clear during his interview that he is thankful to the lineman working to help restore power. His anger is directed at Nashville&#8217;s Democratic mayor, Freddie O&#8217;Connell.
&#8220;We have a mayor here in Nashville, a hard-core leftist guy, and they&#8217;ve decided that they aren&#8217;t going to do any interviews or press conferences through the weekend as the temperatures go down to four and five degrees,&#8221; Rich said.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve just reminded a lot of my Democrat friends &#8230; I said, well, &#8216;You get what you vote for here in Nashville. Maybe next time you put some people in office who actually think ahead.'&#8221;
NES said Friday morning that more than 1,000 linemen are working to restore power for more than 70,000 households still in the cold and dark. To put it in perspective, Duke Energy deployed 18,000 crew members to respond to power outages in <a href="https://wlos.com/news/local/winter-ice-storm-looms-duke-energy-deploys-18000-crews-100-trucks-asheville-western-north-carolina-safety-power-electricity-heating-technology-community-hurricane-helene-grid">North Carolina</a>, bringing in linemen from as far as Canada.
An anonymous member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union told <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/nashville-electric-service-accused-of-rejecting-help-amid-massive-power-outages-nes-winter-storm-middle-tennessee-union-memebers">Fox 17</a> in Nashville that, at a minimum, NES should have 2,000 crew members working to restore power.
NES was pressed on Thursday about the number of linemen working while other cities with fewer outages have larger crews.
&#8220;This storm is different,&#8221; NES Executive Vice President Brent Baker said. &#8220;This ice storm is significant. This is the most people NES has ever onboarded onto the system. This storm was bigger than what was even expected &#8230; Nashville was slammed. Poles were broken like toothpicks. Trees exploded, landing on top of our infrastructure, on top of the wires.&#8221;
The Daily Wire has reached out to NES for an estimate of when power will be restored.

Credit: Jason Kempin via Getty Images

Country Star Compares Nashville Power Outage Fiasco To California’s Awful Wildfire Response

Country Star Compares Nashville Power Outage Fiasco To California's Abysmal Wildfire Response

Music

Nashville

News

Winter Storm Fern

Daily Wire podcast host Isabel Brown on Tuesday put together a tribute episode to honor slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk on what would have been his 32nd birthday. Brown invited big-name country music artists and smaller indie acts to discuss faith, music, and Kirk’s impact on the world.
Legendary country star John Rich also stopped by “The Isabel Brown Show” to pay tribute to Kirk and discuss what it means to stand up for faith and principles in the entertainment industry.
“As an American, you always have this decision to make at some point, especially in today&#8217;s culture, and that is, ‘Am I willing to say what I really think and stand for what I really stand for, knowing I&#8217;m going to take a horrible bloody nose in my career or possibly worse?’” he told Brown, adding that he “wrestled with that for many years.”
“My American dream was to play country music, be on the radio, play the Grand Ole Opry, write hit songs, all of that,” Rich went on. “And so knowing that the industry was so liberal, if I came out swinging as a Christian conservative patriot, I’m probably going to be short-lived from that point forward … And sure enough, that was the case. I’m not on the radio anymore. I don’t get invited to their big fancy parties. But on the other hand, I can say whatever I want to.”
“I can speak the truth,” the singer said. “And, you know, Charlie represented that. I mean, you see a guy who knew that walking into those situations was going to be uncomfortable at the least and potentially dangerous, which now we know it was actually deadly to walk into those situations. But he represents what it means to be a real Christian.”
“Real Christians don&#8217;t just speak the truth when it&#8217;s comfortable,” Rich added. “Matter of fact, quite the opposite.”
The singer also mentioned Kirk’s legacy, with more young people following his example and getting married and having children. 
“It&#8217;s literally the greatest feeling a person can ever have, as you know and as I know,” Rich said of marriage and parenthood. “And I think that that has been downplayed, ridiculed, demonized, even to go out and get married and have kids. I mean, we&#8217;ve seen it in the media.”
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He added, “‘No, you don’t need to do that. You need to be a Kardashian. You need to be a pro athlete. You need to be this, be that.’ What about just being a regular, good dad or a regular, good mom? And they’ve never really talked about the benefits you get back to yourself when you become a good dad or a good mom. There’s nothing in the world that compares.”
Rich said the Christian revival that was set in motion following Kirk’s assassination has been inspiring.  “I do think with Charlie’s death, the mask of shallowness has been pulled back off of our culture … It’s giving people a line of sight into the real deep things of life that really matter.”
The country star also offered advice to anyone seeking to live a better life. 
“Put things into motion that will outlive you,” he said. “That way down the road when you&#8217;re no longer here, whether you die at 31 or 110, somebody somewhere gets to hear or see you do or say something that impacts them long after you&#8217;re gone.”
He went on, “It&#8217;s okay to go be successful, but your focus should be significance in your music, in your art, in what you say, in your speech. In shows like this, say things that will outlast you. That would be my advice.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="A Life Worth Singing For: Tribute To Charlie Kirk" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T3OHYX9hR0Q?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Singer Matthew West agreed with all points and also discussed the challenges of being the father of teenagers. He said he’d “been a fan of Charlie’s for a long time” and was always “inspired by his bold stance, but also the way that he exercised his right to free speech in such a respectful way.”
“I have teenage daughters, you know, who need young influencers like Charlie showing them the way and speaking into their lives like Charlie,” West said. He added that in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, he felt a “stirring,” which was noticeable when he performed his song “Unashamed” several days later at a stadium in Pennsylvania. 
“I definitely have felt just a stirring taking place and a spiritual awakening, as well as just a cultural awakening of going, ‘What kind of voice am I gonna have in the world? And am I willing to use it even if it comes at a cost?’”
West emphasized the impact Kirk was able to make despite being young. “There’s a verse in the Bible that says, ‘Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers,’” he said, referencing a passage that’s been used in reference to Kirk many times since his death.
The singer said the hatred against Kirk is also very revealing as it’s proof of “the legitimate spiritual warfare that we as Christians do believe is constantly raging on around us at all times.” 
West said his takeaway is to be even bolder in his faith despite the backlash he may experience. “There&#8217;s a line in one of my songs called ‘Unashamed’ and it&#8217;s made me think about Charlie,” he told Brown. “And every time I find myself singing it on stage since Charlie&#8217;s death, I think about him and I think about like, I just, I almost sing it kind of angry. And the line says, ‘I don&#8217;t answer to the crowd/ I answer to a King/ So the louder they shout/ The louder I sing.’” 
West also performed a song he wrote as a tribute to Kirk, which came to him on the night of the assassination. 
“September 10th, after we found out that Charlie had gone home to be with the Lord, I gathered my wife and my two daughters together and we talked about it and we prayed … later that night, I heard a song coming from my daughter’s bedroom and she was just up there, my 19 year old daughter with her guitar and she was singing &#8230; this old hymn  from my childhood.”
He added, “And I went to bed that night and … a Bible verse woke me up early that morning. I don’t want to romanticize it, but literally that’s what happened.”
The singer-songwriter said the idea of God being close, even in the face of a tragedy, inspired the song “Be Close,” which he performed on the tribute episode.
Brown’s tribute episode, “A Life Worth Singing For,” also included insight and reflection from Cole Swindell, Abe Parker, and Anne Wilson.

Isabel Brown and John Rich

John Rich Reflects On Charlie Kirk’s Legacy: ‘Say Things That Will Outlast You’

John Rich Reflects on Charlie Kirk’s Legacy: 'Say Things That Will Outlast You'

Celebrities

Charlie Kirk

Country Music

Country singer

Country Singers

Isabel Brown

Politics

The Daily Wire

As if being a country music star and successful businessman weren&#8217;t enough, John Rich has a new mission.
The singer is working to raise awareness about the dangers of child sexual extortion, or <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-teen-boys-take-their-own-lives-as-online-sextortion-cases-spike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“sextortion”</a> – a form of harassment wherein an offender coerces or tricks a minor into sending them sexually explicit images or videos, and then threatens to release the content unless the child furnishes more sexual content or some form of payment. As The Daily Wire reported, sextortion has led dozens of young boys to commit suicide.
On Wednesday, Rich is teaming up with the Department of Homeland Security to host an X Space that he says is the most vital information he’s ever put out on social media. Rich will be joined by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Dennis Fetting. It will air live at 8 p.m. Eastern on Rich’s X account, <a href="https://x.com/johnrich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@JohnRich</a>. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
7CST tomorrow night, a livestream event with <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a> and myself, right here on my <a href="https://twitter.com/X?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@x</a> channel for parents and teens. This is a VERY important presentation if you have kids. Please watch the video for details, and please repost🙏 <a href="https://t.co/Fl2RHduTdM">pic.twitter.com/Fl2RHduTdM</a>
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1914807009355931693?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
Rich said he’ll be acting as the “sit-in parent on behalf of American parents,” asking all the important questions you’d want to know. 
“Spend 60 minutes watching it. It will change the way you perceive what&#8217;s going on around your kids,&#8221; Rich told The Daily Wire. &#8220;It can save your kid’s life. It could definitely save their future.”
Rich has been an advocate for children for years now, <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/news/country-music-star-john-rich-testifies-before-tennessee-house-criminal-justice-committee-on-pornographic-material-in-schools/klbaigert/2022/02/24/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testifying</a> before the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2022 about removing pornography and obscene content from K-12 schools in the state. Asked if there was a specific moment he felt he had to do something about child exploitation and abuse, Rich replied: &#8220;When I became a dad.” 
Still, Rich only learned about child sextortion a few months ago, after his wife and 15-year-old son attended a talk on the subject by Homeland Security Agent Dennis Fetting.
Rich and his wife immediately changed the settings on their kids’ technology. Rich&#8217;s marketing mind also kicked in, and he got to work thinking about how he could spread the word to as many parents as possible
“I was astonished not only by what he said, but how my wife reacted to it and my son,” he recalled. “So I went into the DHS.gov site and looked up <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Know2Protect,&#8221;</a> he said. &#8220;I read through that and went, &#8216;This needs to be seen by everybody.’”
Then, he shot Fetting an email.
“I do know Secretary Kristi Noem — but she’s rather hard to get on the phone these days, so I didn&#8217;t go to her with this,” he said with a chuckle. “I actually called the local DHS agency in Tennessee and said, ‘Hey, it&#8217;s John Rich. Here&#8217;s the idea: I wanna get with an agent, do a live stream on X, other platforms as well, where we can get this broad message out.’ I said, ‘I know you&#8217;ve got a website, but people are too busy. They&#8217;re not gonna go looking up a website. Let&#8217;s put it right in front of them and let&#8217;s have a conversation, more than a seminar.’”
The Trump administration listened to him, kicked it up the flagpole extremely quickly, and Noem signed on immediately.
“It&#8217;s one great thing about the Trump administration — on top of a lot of great things — they&#8217;re accessible,” he said, adding that “They want to have a positive impact.&#8221;
&#8220;They wanna work with you, and they&#8217;re listening. They&#8217;re listening to the general public.&#8221;
“I&#8217;m fully aware of the dangers that are out there for our kids right now — it&#8217;s totally different than when I grew up,” Rich said. “They are being targeted on apps, video games, social media — places you would never dream of, on innocent-sounding games like Roblox, Minecraft, things like that, where predators are acting like they&#8217;re another kid and they&#8217;re creating a relationship with your kid, and then they lower the boom, then they start to extort and extort.”
“They do everything from force the kids to send nude pictures of themselves, to take pictures of their parents&#8217; credit cards front and back so they can extort money,” Rich continued. “They threaten them with killing their family, burning their house down, posting the pictures all online.”
“It results in kids, some of them becoming suicidal — it’s a major, major problem,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So to me, millions of parents needed to hear about this.” 
Rich underscored how Homeland Security, in his experience, was eager and open to listening to him and put things into action. He encouraged others to use their platforms in this space. In particular, he called on celebrities to speak out — but he&#8217;s not optimistic that Hollywood will rise to the occasion.
&#8220;A lot of what Hollywood&#8217;s been about is the exploitation of children,” Rich said. “So, they would have to put something out that rebuts their own stances.”
“I mean, that&#8217;s just the truth. I&#8217;m sorry, that&#8217;s hard to hear, but that&#8217;s really what it is,” he said. “If you look at the way they sexualize children in Hollywood, that&#8217;s not theory anymore. That&#8217;s part of the ethos.”
It&#8217;s up to parents, Rich said, to educate their children on the dangers of sextortion.
“You put fear into your son or daughter about not playing in the street. Do you put fear into your son or daughter about not talking to strangers, or don&#8217;t take a pill if somebody hands you one, or whatever it might be? Of course you do,” Rich said. “That&#8217;s part of being a good parent.”
“Well, now it&#8217;s time to put fear into them, a healthy fear about what they&#8217;re dealing with online, and do not trust anybody that you don&#8217;t know personally online,” he added. 
Rich hopes that his livestream is just the beginning of a longer conversation, and a continued awareness campaign.
&#8220;This needs to be a viral moment in America,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Parents need to have a viral moment with what&#8217;s gonna happen tonight on this live stream. The livestream will be recorded and posted to YouTube and Rumble. It&#8217;s gonna live on forever and ever.&#8221;
You can watch the X Space tonight, live, at 8 p.m. Eastern, on <a href="https://x.com/johnrich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rich&#8217;s X account</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A conversation about online child predators with Homeland Security and John Rich: PLS Repost! <a href="https://t.co/zChy4K5HQU">https://t.co/zChy4K5HQU</a>
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1915190100058923202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-teen-boys-take-their-own-lives-as-online-sextortion-cases-spike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dozens Of Teen Boys Take Their Own Lives As Online Sextortion Cases Spike</a>

52nd Academy Of Country Music Awards – Arrivals

How Country Star John Rich Teamed Up With Kristi Noem To Combat Child Sextortion

Department of Homeland Security

Kristi Noem

Morning Wire

Sex Trafficking

Despite <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/beyonce">Beyoncé</a>’s fans being overjoyed about her winning her first ever <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/grammy-awards">Grammy Award</a> for Album of the Year, plenty of other award show winners were confused. They failed to recognize how the 43-year-old pop singer nabbed the night’s biggest prize for “Cowboy Carter,” a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/country-music">country album</a>, especially against such stiff competition.
Country artist John Rich weighed in with his thoughts on awards shows and how they picked winners. The former Big &amp; Rich member said the whole thing is rigged and has nothing to do with actual talent.
“Folks are asking me ‘how do music award shows work?’” Rich posted on X.
He continued, “Labels/publishers all have blocks of votes. They make deals with each other &#8216;you vote for mine, we&#8217;ll vote for yours&#8217; type thing. It has ZERO to do with who made the best music, thus, Beyonce with &#8216;Country album of the year.&#8217; Nice, right? The same thing is true with the CMA&#8217;s, ACM&#8217;s, Billboard, etc&#8230;all work exactly the same. Last night, the Grammy&#8217;s outed themselves in a big way.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Folks are asking me &quot;how do music award shows work?&quot; Labels/publishers all have blocks of votes. They make deals with each other &quot;you vote for mine, we&#39;ll vote for yours&quot; type thing. It has ZERO to do with who made the best music, thus, Beyonce with &quot;Country album of the year.&quot;…
&mdash; John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1886402683055014144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The replies were full of people saying they weren’t even slightly surprised.
“The Grammys just proved what we already knew—it&#8217;s all about backroom deals, not real talent. Meanwhile, actual country artists are out here making real music and getting ignored. Absolute joke,” one person <a href="https://x.com/basterecords/status/1886413467269107987">wrote</a>.
“Yes, sadly, it&#8217;s not about the music anymore. Also performance spots are paid. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s the same people performing over and over again. Like a vanity show of the richest,” another comment <a href="https://x.com/CariCole/status/1886414842963062790">said</a>. “&#8230;For lifelong musicians, who really care about the music—it is soul-crushing. Unbearable to watch.”
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly also weighed in on Beyoncé’s big win in a clip that was then <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@megynkellyshow/video/7467316522902506783?lang=en">posted</a> to TikTok.
“Beyoncé, she’s won 33 Grammys, including for Best Country album last night. Frank Sinatra got 11 Grammys. The Beatles won 7. Judy Garland, 2. Beyoncé: 33. The most overrated artist of all time.”
“We’re not buying it,” Kelly added after reading Rich’s tweet out loud. “We know what happened and how she got this award.”
Other nominees for the highly coveted Album of the Year Award included Andre 3000, Sabrina Carpenter, Charli xcx, Jacob Collier, Billie Eilish, Chappell Roan, and Taylor Swift.
Beyoncé is the most nominated person in Grammys history, with 99 total nominations.

John Rich and Beyonce

John Rich Explains How Beyoncé Nabbed Album Of The Year, Says It’s ‘ZERO’ To Do With ‘Best Music’

John Rich Explains How Beyoncé Nabbed Album Of The Year, Says It's 'ZERO' To Do With 'Best Music'

Beyonce

Grammy Awards

U.S.

Actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marvel-star-doesnt-think-captain-america-should-represent-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthony Mackie</a> said he’s “a proud American” as he responded to backlash against him for saying he didn’t believe “the term America” was one of the things that represented the superhero Captain America, who represents things like “honor, dignity, and integrity.”
In a post on Tuesday on the Marvel star’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/anthonymackie/">Instagram Stories</a>, Mackie wrote, “Let me be clear about this, I’m a proud American and taking on the shield of a hero like CAP [Captain America] is the honor of a lifetime.”
“I have the utmost respect for those who serve and have served our country,” he added. “CAP has universal characteristics that people all over the world can relate to.”
The original comments came while Mackie, whose character Sam Wilson has now taken over the Captain America role, was on a press tour in Rome and was asked about his role in the new Disney movie “Captain America: Brave New World.” The hero role was formerly played by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chris-evans">Chris Evans</a>, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marvel-star-doesnt-think-captain-america-should-represent-america">reported</a>.
“For me, Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations,” the actor said in the clip that’s since gone viral. “It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity, and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”
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“This is kind of like an aspect of a dream coming true,” he added. “You know, when I was a kid … all of us as actors, I believe, want to get back to that day before someone told you no. When you look out your door and you see a five-year-old with a stick and he’s slaying dragons to save the princess in the tower, that kid really believes there are dragons out there, that stick is really a sword, and he’s really trying to save that princess.”
“Then one day, somebody told him no. There are no dragons, that’s not a sword, and that princess is not there. And all of his little dreams were dashed,” Mackie continued.
After the clip surfaced, a backlash ensued against the actor, with people like country star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-rich">John Rich</a> saying he wouldn&#8217;t be taking his kids to see Mackie&#8217;s new movie ahead of its release on February 14, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-rich-joins-backlash-against-marvel-star-wont-take-kids-to-new-captain-america">reported</a>.
“I guess I won’t be taking my kids to watch Captain Anti-America,” Rich wrote to his followers on social media. “These idiots will never learn.”
Daily Wire Editor Emeritus <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/ben-shapiro">Ben Shapiro </a><a href="https://x.com/benshapiro/status/1884224552219336803">wrote</a> on X, “These studios at some point will have to stop giving their stars a platform to utterly destroy their product.&#8221;
Outkick’s Clay Travis <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/1884254118132306332">asked</a>, “Are there any actors and actresses employed by Marvel who aren’t complete and total morons?”
Political commentator Dan Bongino <a href="https://x.com/dbongino/status/1884233444881989769">reacted</a> to the clip and wrote, “Another s*** movie I won’t be seeing.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-rich-joins-backlash-against-marvel-star-wont-take-kids-to-new-captain-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Rich Joins Backlash Against Marvel Star, Won’t Take Kids To New ‘Captain America&#8217;</a>

“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” – Los Angeles Premiere

Marvel Star Responds To Backlash, Says He’s ‘A Proud American’

America

Chris Evans

Disney

Hollywood

Marvel

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-rich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Rich</a> joined the growing backlash against Marvel star Anthony Mackie after the actor slammed America, and said he won’t be taking his kids to see Mackie’s new “Captain America: Brave New World” Disney movie.
In a post on Tuesday on <a href="https://x.com/johnrich/status/1884244239573471298">X</a>, the 51-year-old country singer reacted to the news that, while promoting his new Disney movie, Mackie said that he didn’t believe “the term America” was one of the things that was represented in the superhero Captain America, saying the hero represents things like “honor, dignity, and integrity.&#8221;
“I guess I won&#8217;t be taking my kids to watch Captain Anti-America,” Rich wrote to his followers on social media. “These idiots will never learn.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I guess I won&#8217;t be taking my kids to watch Captain Anti-America. These idiots will never learn. <a href="https://t.co/8NjmZ4T0dw">https://t.co/8NjmZ4T0dw</a>
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1884244239573471298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
The comments came while Mackie, whose character Sam Wilson has now taken over the Captain America role, was on a press tour in Rome and was asked about the part. The hero role was formerly played by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chris-evans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chris Evans</a>, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marvel-star-doesnt-think-captain-america-should-represent-america">reported</a>.
“For me, Captain America represents a lot of different things and I don’t think the term ‘America’ should be one of those representations,” Mackie said in the clip that’s gone viral. “It’s about a man who keeps his word, who has honor, dignity, and integrity. Someone who is trustworthy and dependable.”
“This is kind of like an aspect of a dream coming true,” he added. “You know, when I was a kid … all of us as actors, I believe, want to get back to that day before someone told you no. When you look out your door and you see a five-year-old with a stick and he’s slaying dragons to save the princess in the tower, that kid really believes there are dragons out there, that stick is really a sword, and he’s really trying to save that princess.”
“Then one day, somebody told him no. There are no dragons, that’s not a sword, and that princess is not there. And all of his little dreams were dashed,” Mackie continued.
Rich wasn’t the only one who slammed the comments ahead of the movie’s release on Feb. 14. 
Daily Wire Editor Emeritus <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/ben-shapiro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Shapiro </a><a href="https://x.com/benshapiro/status/1884224552219336803">wrote</a> on X, “These studios at some point will have to stop giving their stars a platform to utterly destroy their product
Outkick’s Clay Travis <a href="https://x.com/ClayTravis/status/1884254118132306332">asked</a>, “Are there any actors and actresses employed by Marvel who aren’t complete and total morons?”
Political commentator Dan Bongino <a href="https://x.com/dbongino/status/1884233444881989769">reacted</a> to the clip and wrote, &#8220;Another s*** movie I won&#8217;t be seeing.&#8221;
BlazeTV&#8217;s Todd Erzen said on <a href="https://x.com/DeaceOnline/status/1884233756334309479">X</a>: &#8220;You should mock and boycott him just as mercilessly as you would Selena Gomez. His movie needs to pay the price for his disrespect.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/snow-white-star-rachel-zegler-apologizes-after-backlash-for-attacking-trump-voters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Snow White’ Star Rachel Zegler Apologizes After Backlash For Attacking Trump Voters</a>

John Rich Joins Backlash Against Marvel Star, Won’t Take Kids To New ‘Captain America’

John Rich Joins Backlash Against Marvel Star, Won't Take Kids To See New 'Captain America'

Captain America

country star

Just days before <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, country singer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-rich">John Rich</a> is calling on other country stars to publicly show their support.
The recording artist was reacting to the news that Grammy Award winner Carrie Underwood would perform at Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/inauguration">inauguration</a>, which shocked many of her fans. Underwood had never publicly expressed her political opinions.
“There are several top tier <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/country-music">country artists</a> who support Trump, and I wish they&#8217;d finally have the balls to come forward and be counted. Ain&#8217;t nothing outlaw about keeping your mouth shut to appease the record label. Carrie Underwood is making you look like a bunch of sissy boys,” Rich shared on X Monday. 
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There are several top tier country artists who support Trump, and I wish they&#39;d finally have the balls to come forward and be counted. Ain&#39;t nothing outlaw about keeping your mouth shut to appease the record label. Carrie Underwood is making you look like a bunch of sissy boys🤣
&mdash; John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1878903413272084703?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Big &amp; Rich singer did not elaborate on which specific “country artists” he was calling out.
Underwood has faced backlash from liberal fans following the announcement that she’d sing “America the Beautiful” at next Monday’s ceremony. The “American Idol” winner later issued a statement, <a href="https://people.com/carrie-underwood-speaks-out-about-performing-2025-trump-inauguration-8773825">saying</a>, “I love our country and am honored to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/">JOIN THE MOVEMENT IN ’25 WITH 25% OFF DAILYWIRE+ ANNUAL MEMBERSHIPS WITH CODE DW25</a>
Underwood added, “I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
The Village People, the band behind the hit 1978 single and Trump rally staple “Y.M.C.A.,” will perform at Trump’s victory rally in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, per <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/13/trump-village-people-inaugural-kid-rock">Axios</a>. The group will also perform at the inaugural eve ball hosted by Turning Point USA on Sunday night. 
Country stars Jason Aldean and Rascal Flatts will perform at Trump’s inaugural ball on Monday, the outlet noted, while Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus are also slated to play at the victory rally.
Opera singer Christopher Macchio will perform the national anthem at the event.

John Rich Calls On Country Stars Who Support Trump To Announce Themselves

Carrie Underwood

Donald Trump

Inauguration

The following is a transcript excerpt from Dr. Jordan Peterson’s conversation with country music artist John Rich on prayer, how to discern the difference between your will and God’s will, the truth of the Bible, death and eternity. You can <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/the-jordan-b-peterson-podcast/tbd-john-rich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listen to</a> or <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/john-rich-ad-free" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch</a> the full podcast episode on DailyWire+.
Start time: 49:39
Jordan B. Peterson: I am curious about how you know the difference between your will and what should be done. The prayer — to do the father&#8217;s will on earth as it is in heaven — is different from pursuing your own short-term interests. But you can be deluded about that. So how do you know? How do you test your own motivation to determine whether what you are doing is truthful or just another snare of deception?
John Rich: I think one place, with respect, that I think you are wrong on this subject and that you miss it, is that you think human beings have the capability to decide between left and right, truth and lie, all these things that are going on, and we&#8217;re just not capable of it. I&#8217;ll put it to you this way: I am not looking at the real Jordan Peterson. I&#8217;m looking at what Jordan Peterson lives in for a while. You&#8217;re not looking at John Rich. I just live in this thing for a while. The real Jordan Peterson lives forever. He&#8217;s an eternal being. He was created by the creator, and he was put in that body that you&#8217;re in right now to last as long as it&#8217;s going to last. And then that body is going to die. And then the real Jordan is released from that body, same way it goes for me. 
So the only way a human being can discern what is true and what is a lie is you better have Jesus inside of you because he&#8217;s the ultimate truth. So when things come at you that are lies, which is every single day — including lies you might tell yourself or make yourself think something is not true, have a notion about something and it seems really strong — you ask Him: Is that true? Like, am I thinking about this right? 
And you pray about it and you go, if this is wrong, don&#8217;t let me do that. You know, put me in the right spot, even though it seems totally obvious that I should do this in my own eyes. And He will. But the only way that works is if you have yielded to Him, turned over the entire control to Him, become a bondservant to Him. He&#8217;s the ultimate truth. If a lie comes into contact with the ultimate truth, which one is more powerful at that point? Is the truth more powerful than the lie? Of course it is. It’s the ultimate power, the real truth.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/john-rich-ad-free" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Jordan B. Peterson podcast on DailyWire+</a></h4>
 * * *
Time: 54:06
* * *
Peterson: When you were deciding to move away from the studio and record-label life, how did you come to the determination? You mentioned prayer, but how did you come to determine that was the appropriate path, that it was not just another form of ego game? You said part of it — acknowledging there is a big risk in it — so there is an obvious sacrificial component to that which speaks of its truth. But I am really interested in the details. And then the other issue that I am curious about is, when you talk about prayer and you are using your prayer to discern the truth, what is it that you are praying for that enables you to benefit from that discernment?
Rich: What a great question. So, the Holy Spirit. It says in the Bible that, to His children — the real ones, the ones that have turned it over to Him — He will send the Holy Spirit to help you and guide you and navigate for you. You have to ask for that. You pray and say, “Please send the Holy Spirit to me because I can&#8217;t figure this out. I&#8217;m having trouble. I don&#8217;t know what to do. What am I supposed to do right now?” You ask for that, and He will send it. And then in your being, you feel if [you’re] making a wrong move. “Am I supposed to go left? Right? Straight? Not move at all? Or a step back? Which one am I supposed to do?” It will become very clear to you.
It&#8217;s called discernment. We&#8217;re told, we&#8217;re commanded, multiple times — If you read Proverbs, you read what King David wrote; discernment was everything. I mean, that&#8217;s like King Solomon. King Solomon asked for that. King Solomon asked for wisdom and discernment. He wanted to be able to discern because it&#8217;s the hardest thing for a human being to do. How do I know? How do I know what I&#8217;m supposed to do? And if you&#8217;re only relying on your own physical self to figure that out, you&#8217;re never going to get it right — ever. You&#8217;re never going to get it right. And so the Holy Spirit, that&#8217;s who comes in. And he is the discernment that you&#8217;re asking for. Now, He may not tell you the second you ask for it, but if you ask for it and you&#8217;re serious about it and that&#8217;s what you really want, he&#8217;ll send it to you and you&#8217;ll get it.
And so I think to your conversation about the music industry and all that stuff, I could feel it. I could feel he was telling me, it&#8217;s time for you to get out of here, bud. Time to go. Time to go. Things like my kids reacting to things, my wife reacting to things, me personally reacting to things. That was his way of going: Ding, ding, ding. Pay attention, John. Time for you to move. I know you&#8217;ve been doing this your whole life. I know this was your American Dream. I know this is what you think you were built to do, and maybe you were for a period of time. But I got something else for you to do.
<h4><a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a></h4>
* * *
Time: 1:18:14
* * *
Rich: If you feel Him — you feel Him knocking at the door, open the door. It&#8217;s very simple. You don&#8217;t need a preacher; you don&#8217;t need a priest. You don&#8217;t need anybody to sit down with, to give your life to Jesus, and go to heaven. You don&#8217;t need anybody. You can sit there all by yourself, and you can reach out to him, and you can give your life to him right there anytime you want to. … And again, we&#8217;re all going to have to go to that point. Everybody&#8217;s going to die. Everybody. And the second you die, [the Bible] says to be absent from the flesh is to be present with God. Boom. Just like that. And you&#8217;re standing in front of the boss. And what are you going to say to him? What&#8217;s he going to say to you? That&#8217;s the only conversation any human being should be concerned about. … The stakes are the eternal stakes out here. You are supposed to go say that. 
And let me tell you something, doctor, as we wrap. You could be one of the most powerful weapons in the hand of God that He ever slung — ever — because of the intellect that you have, because of the platform that you have, because of the millions of people, and what you&#8217;ve learned. You&#8217;ve read every word of the Bible, you&#8217;ve dissected it, you know what it is. And the day that becomes absolutely life-and-death real to you, you sir, could be one of the most powerful human beings, in my opinion, that ever walked the face of the earth.
* * *
<a href="https://www.jordanbpeterson.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Jordan B. Peterson</a> is a clinical psychologist and professor emeritus at the University of Toronto. From 1993 to 1998 he served as assistant and then associate professor of psychology at Harvard. He is the international bestselling author of “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Maps-Meaning-Architecture-Jordan-Peterson/dp/0415922216/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maps of Meaning</a>,” “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/12-Rules-Life-Antidote-Chaos/dp/0345816021/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;qid=&amp;sr=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">12 Rules For Life,</a>” and “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Order-More-Rules-Life/dp/0593084640/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&amp;dib_tag=AUTHOR&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nbV0WtVit9busCddbjMST-Oe7hjueQrxfqnQ4L3HXXUFdIaqlEBr0sp9HQWIq9ut9NlHDAFA0YQoDWVZfDtKNJI7VvlzWv2rMhs2KcAAIIppPRMWq4GIiFerkrssvBABAjeKlg3OFs3H8IHs5D8ktJ5uBg3K-SZ4hpKltaKkrhY6j-RKn-tTkBz29JZXP3Rhm9SB14rHUX1nol5d4z4Fi6f8fwhxXWCVGgkvOHSqG6E.iVF1NljuBEwrpumO9rQBh9FotnzaIo4K7K8HvNnC46k&amp;qid=&amp;sr=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beyond Order.</a>” You can now <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/the-jordan-b-peterson-podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listen to</a> or <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/watch/jordan-peterson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watch</a> his popular lectures on DailyWire+.
Be sure to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Who-Wrestle-God-Jordan-Peterson/dp/0593542533/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=38kcw&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&amp;pf_rd_p=f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&amp;pf_rd_r=133-1833056-3520340&amp;pd_rd_wg=3zvBk&amp;pd_rd_r=93a1419a-853b-4c49-a764-cbaa90d3073a&amp;ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PRE-ORDER</a> Dr. Peterson’s newest book: “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Who-Wrestle-God-Jordan-Peterson/dp/0593542533/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;pd_rd_w=38kcw&amp;content-id=amzn1.sym.f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&amp;pf_rd_p=f911c8db-3a2b-4b3e-952f-b80fdcee83f4&amp;pf_rd_r=133-1833056-3520340&amp;pd_rd_wg=3zvBk&amp;pd_rd_r=93a1419a-853b-4c49-a764-cbaa90d3073a&amp;ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We Who Wrestle with God</a>” (Portfolio/Penguin. November 19, 2024.)

MixCollage-16-Aug-2024-11-32-AM-2223

The Role Of The Holy Spirit: Distinguishing Between Your Will And God’s Will 

Bible

Christianity

Jordan B. Peterson

Prayer

Readers Pass

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kid-rock" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kid Rock</a> sent a strong message to followers that if you “f***” with former President Donald Trump then “you f*** with me” after the apparent assassination attempt on Trump on Saturday.
In a post on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9YXhU6PVc0/">Instagram</a>, the 53-year-old singer shared a video of him making it clear that taking a shot at the former president is not okay after Trump was shot during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, while he was speaking to supporters ahead of the 2024 election.
“You f*** with Trump, you f*** with me,” the rocker — born Robert James Ritchie — said in a video online as he pointed at the camera, and made it clear he was angry after someone had shot at Trump.
The rocker wasn’t the only person from the music world who reacted to the attempted assassination of Trump. Country star John Rich took to <a href="https://x.com/johnrich/status/1812250186090979528" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a> and wrote, “Trump was shot!!!” 
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“They couldn’t beat him in a fair contest, so they tried to kill him,” he <a href="https://x.com/johnrich/status/1812267422944002205">added</a>. “BUT THEY MISSED.”
“I know the vibes. We are all in trouble now!” <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Yc2LBOYgk/">Rapper 50 Cent wrote, a</a>long with a clip of his track “Many Men (Wish Death)” from Get Rich or Die Tryin,&#8217; <a href="https://www.billboard.com/culture/politics/trump-rally-shooting-reactions-1235730584/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Billboard</a> noted.
He <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C9Ydn9bO0ml/">added</a> in a second post that read, “Trump gets shot and now I’m trending.&#8221; His post included a photoshopped image of Trump&#8217;s face on top of his from the album cover Get Rich or Die Tryin.’
Following the shooting, Trump released a statement that read, “I want to thank The United States Secret Service, and all of Law Enforcement, for their rapid response on the shooting that just took place in Butler, Pennsylvania.&#8221;
“Most importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the Rally who was killed, and also to the family of another person that was badly injured,” he added. “It is incredible that such an act can take place in our Country.”
“Nothing is known at this time about the shooter, who is now dead,” Trump continued. “I was shot with a bullet that pierced the upper part of my right ear. I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place, so I realized then what was happening.”
“GOD BLESS AMERICA!” he concluded his post.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/prayers-for-trump-pour-in-after-former-president-appears-to-get-shot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prayers For Trump Pour In After Former President Appears To Get Shot</a>

NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500

Kid Rock Says ‘You F*** With Trump, You ‘F*** With Me’ After Assassination Attempt

Kid Rock Says 'You F**k With Trump, You 'F**k With Me' After Assassination Attempt

50 Cent

assassination

Kid Rock

Shooting

Country star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-rich">John Rich</a> offered to put on a free concert for the University of North Carolina <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colleges">students</a> who went viral earlier this week as they defended the American flag from anti-Israel protesters.
The images of the young men, who are members of the UNC-Chapel Hill chapter of Pi Kappa Phi, drew support after making rounds on the internet. The college students can be seen holding up the flag to keep it from touching the ground and not backing down despite being screamed at and pelted with water bottles and other items.
Their actions also drew the attention of Rich. He made his offer on X, writing, “For the boys who protected the American flag at UNC, I&#8217;d like to offer a free concert for their celebration of freedom party (anybody know how to find these young men?) Maybe we could talk &#8230;”
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For the boys who protected the American flag at UNC, I&#39;d like to offer a free concert for their celebration of freedom party👍(anybody know how to find these young men?)Maybe we could talk <a href="https://twitter.com/dbongino?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dbongino</a> into doing a live broadcast from their frat house? Cmon Dan, live a little🤣…
&mdash; John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1785802205246714000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The “Save a Horse” singer followed up several hours later, saying he had been in contact and was setting up the show. 
“I’ve made contact with the Patriots at UNC!” he <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1785843590960214465">shared</a> on Wednesday night. “Working on a date to have a massive event to celebrate our flag and those who love her. I’ll keep ya’ll posted! Let’s call it #Flagstock Can you make Flagstock trend? LESSGO!”
A GoFundMe <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/pi-kappa-phi-men-defended-their-flag-throw-em-a-rager">page</a> raising money to throw the fraternity members a “rager” has raised more than $400,000 as of Thursday morning. 
“Commie losers across the country have invaded college campuses to make dumb demands of weak University Administrators,” the GoFundMe page says in part. “But amidst the chaos, the screaming, the anti-semitism, the hatred of faith and flag, stood a platoon of American heroes. Armored in Vineyard Vines and Patagonia, fueled by Zyn and White Claws, these triumphant Brohemians protected Old Glory from the unwashed Marxist horde — laughing at their shrieks and wails and shielding the Stars &amp; Stripes from Soviet missiles.”
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Student Guillermo Estrada <a href="https://twitter.com/estradguillermo/status/1785431831946367117">wrote</a> about what happened on X, saying he was headed to class when he saw a Palestinian flag had been raised on the flag pole, which made him “immediately upset.” He said that he and his fraternity brothers went to assist the police officers who were replacing the American flag.
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One of the best photos of 2024 so far:
Fraternity brothers are pelted by anti-Israel protesters at UNC Chapel Hill while protecting the United States flag as it is re-hoisted following its removal by protesters. 
Well done, gentleman. 🫡🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/0DiBQcVLBu">pic.twitter.com/0DiBQcVLBu</a>
&mdash; Max Meyer (@mualphaxi) <a href="https://twitter.com/mualphaxi/status/1785481782525153345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“My fraternity brother and others ran over to hold [the flag]  up, in order for it not to touch the ground. People began throwing water bottles at us, rocks, sticks, calling us profane names. We stood for an hour defending the flag so many fight to protect,” he wrote at the time.

Rich and flag

John Rich Offers Free Concert For College Students Who Shielded American Flag From Anti-Israel Protesters

American Flag

College

Education

Hamas

North Carolina

Protesters

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/john-rich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Rich</a> said he’d give up his fame and career for the sake of his children if he had to choose.
The 49-year-old <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/country-music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">country singer</a> discussed his life priorities during a newly published <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/john-rich-sacrifice-career-music-raise-two-children" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with Fox News Digital.
&#8220;Raising your kids is the most important job a man or a woman has if they have kids &#8230; Spending time with my two boys &#8230; teaching them about the world they&#8217;re looking at today, getting them ready for what they&#8217;re going to run into when they become young men, that is job No. 1,&#8221; Rich told the outlet.
“I would never sing another note if you said, &#8216;Give up your music, give up your kids.&#8217; Are you kidding? Not even a question. … There&#8217;s nothing I would not do for my two kids,&#8221; he continued.
The “Lost In This Moment” singer has two sons with his wife Joan: Colt, 12, and Cash, 13. He also discussed how becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/father" target="_blank" rel="noopener">father</a> totally changed his perspective on what’s important in life.
&#8220;I spent … all of my … 20s and 30s, that&#8217;s all I cared about was just getting out, having hit songs, selling millions of records, doing big concerts. That was my focus, my American dream,&#8221; Rich said. &#8220;But then my kids were born, and I&#8217;m like, ‘You know what? I&#8217;m still going to go do those things. But that is no longer my main focus.’&#8221;
The multi-platinum country artist said he spends time at home doing normal parent things like attending sporting events and school functions. Rich said their home life is so mundane that his sons don’t always remember he’s a celebrity.
&#8220;When I shift down into show mode and they come out on the road … they come see a concert, then their eyes bug out, they go, ‘Wow, we forgot. Dad can do that,’&#8221; Rich told the outlet. &#8220;But as soon as the show is over &#8230; I downshift right back in to being their dad.&#8221;
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Rich also explained the importance of his new single, “The Man,” which was inspired by his late great-grandfather’s challenges as a veteran following the end of World War II.
&#8220;I think the song is very important. I think it reminds people again of what true American greatness looks like,&#8221; he said. &#8220;After World War II, that is arguably the strongest America has ever been in its history … probably the decade following World War II.&#8221;

John Rich Says He’d Give Up Fame And Career For His Kids: ‘Not Even A Question’

John Rich Says He'd Give Up Fame And Career For His Kids: 'Not Even A Question'

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