Country Music Network Pulls Jason Aldean's New Music Video Filmed at Historic Lynching Site

Jason Aldean's music video removed after outcry over historical references.

Country music star Jason Aldean's music video for "Try That In A Small Town" has been pulled from Country Music Television (CMT) after receiving backlash for its historically charged references. The video features Aldean performing in front of the Maury County Courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee, which is the site of the 1946 Columbia race riot and the 1927 mob lynching of an 18-year-old Black teenager named Henry Choate. Critics have labeled the video as a "dog whistle" and accused it of being "pro-lynching."

The video includes footage of violent riots and flag burning, as well as a Fox News chyron that reads "State of emergency declared in Georgia." Aldean, who hails from Macon, Georgia, sings lyrics that some find controversial, such as "Cuss out a cop, spit in his face / Stomp on the flag and light it up / Yeah, ya think you're tough" and "Try that in a small town." Aldean, known for his conservative views and support for former President Donald Trump, has faced controversy in the past for dressing as rapper Lil Wayne in blackface makeup and dreadlocks for a Halloween costume.

Following the removal of the video from CMT, the incident has sparked a culture war clash, with conservative figures like Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and Colorado Republican U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert speaking out in support of Aldean. Aldean himself took to Twitter to defend the video, stating that accusations of it being pro-lynching and his views on the Black Lives Matter protests are meritless and dangerous.

This is not the first time Aldean has been at the center of controversy, as he was on stage during the Route 91 Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017. He has also given conflicting statements about his stance on U.S. gun laws, despite his music often celebrating gun ownership.

CMT has not yet responded to requests for comment on the video's removal.

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