Jason Aldean, who famously railed against crime in his song “Try That in a Small Town,” joined convicted felon Donald Trump in the former president’s box at the Republican National Convention on Thursday night.
Aldean, in a gray T-shirt and white hat adorned with an American flag logo, was seated to the right of Trump, in a dark suit and red tie. The country singer’s wife, Brittany Aldean, who marketed Free Trump merchandise after the 45th president’s conviction in May on 34 counts of falsifying business records, was also present. Aldean has become a golfing buddy of Trump and has posted photos of them together on the course.
Trump survived an assassination attempt last Saturday at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, that left one attendee dead. (The shooter, a 20-year-old Pennsylvania resident, was also killed.) Shortly after the shooting, which wounded Trump in his right ear, Aldean dedicated a performance of “Try That in a Small Town” to the Republican candidate for president during a concert stop in Holmdel, New Jersey.
“President Trump’s a friend of mine so I want to send this next song out to him,” Aldean said. “We all know what’s going to happen come November, so it’s all good. Just goes to show you there’s a lot of bullshit in the world, and that’s kind of what this song right here was about. So this one goes out to the pres.”
Aldean’s appearance at the Republican National Convention, held this year in Milwaukee, is one of a few country artist cameos this week. “God Bless the U.S.A.” singer and Bible salesman Lee Greenwood also showed up onstage at the convention, as did Chris Janson, who at the 2016 RNC recast a song he cowrote, “Truck Yeah,” as “Trump Yeah.” Sixwire, a Nashville band of aces who are frequently tapped to perform on TV broadcasts, have been the RNC’s rock-solid house band.
Kid Rock, the country adjacent rock-rapper, is slated to perform on Thursday night. The pro wrestler Hulk Hogan, who introduced Aldean at a Florida stop of the Rock the Country Tour, also spoke at the RNC.
Aldean is currently on his Highway Desperado Tour and was one of many Nashville stars who addressed the Trump rally shooting last weekend. Luke Bryan spurred a “U-S-A” chant during a Cincinnati performance, while John Rich raised conspiracy theories. Texas country singer Cody Johnson rose to the moment, denouncing hate and division and calling for Americans to vote.
