Country music star Jason Aldean took a very public stand for President Donald Trump during the closing weeks of the 2024 presidential campaign. The speech happened nearly two years ago, but it’s become especially notable as other major country artists have recently criticized Trump or promoted causes viewed as liberal. Aldean didn’t hedge or hide behind vague language about unity, he plainly told his home-state crowd who he supported and why.
Aldean delivered the endorsement at a Georgia for Trump rally held at Gas South Arena in Duluth on October 23, 2024. Trump was then campaigning to reclaim the White House from Democrats, with Georgia emerging as one of the election’s decisive battlegrounds. Aldean said accepting the invitation to speak had been “a no-brainer” for him. He described Trump as both an “amazing leader” and a personal friend.
The old footage has resurfaced following a series of recent political controversies involving other country stars. Some performers with large country-music audiences have become more willing to promote left-wing causes or ridicule Trump. Aldean has instead remained a high-profile supporter of the president. His remarks in Georgia showed that support before the outcome of the election was known.
Jelly Roll recently used a guest-hosting appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to mock Trump’s weight, physical fitness, and approval ratings, sparking criticism from conservative fans. Kacey Musgraves similarly drew backlash after asking concertgoers to support an organization providing assistance to immigrant children whose parents, she claimed, had been deported “unfairly.” Aldean’s Georgia speech offers a contrast to these episodes. He used the appearance to explain directly why he supported Trump in the election.
In the video of the speech, Aldean said he wanted to tell the crowd about “the man he is when the cameras are not rolling.” He recalled playing golf with Trump in Florida and watching him approach about four members of his grounds crew after the players finished a hole. According to Aldean, Trump asked the workers how long they had been employed there and handed them cash while thanking them for their loyalty. “Never turned around. No cameras rolling, anything,” Aldean said. “And it told me a lot about the guy the very first time I ever met him.”
Aldean turned to Hurricane Helene, which had devastated communities across Georgia and other parts of the Southeast weeks earlier. “In five days, President Trump raised over six and a half million dollars for Georgians to help rebuild our state,” he told the crowd. The Trump campaign’s fundraiser supported Hurricane Helene relief organizations serving victims across multiple affected states, including Georgia. Aldean emphasized that Trump was out of office at the time but still helped raise money for hurricane relief. “When nobody else was doing anything, President Trump stepped up,” he said. “Once again, it showed me what kind of person President Trump was at the heart of it all.”
Watch Aldean explain why he supported Trump here:
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Aldean also addressed his own experience with media criticism following the release of “Try That in a Small Town.” He said the song “simply called out people for trashing our cities, harming people, disrespecting law enforcement, and costing our taxpayers millions of dollars for their unruly behavior.” The singer said that experience showed him how political and media figures could distort someone’s message. “But no one is on the receiving end of lies and fake news more than President Trump,” Aldean declared. “That’s a fact.”
The country star invoked Trump’s response to the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, as he urged Georgians to vote. “He’s a president who, when knocked down, gets back up, raises his fist in the air, and says, ‘Fight!’” Aldean said. “To me, that’s a warrior, and that’s who we need running this country right now.” He then closed with an unequivocal endorsement: “We need a future where our freedoms are protected, our economy is strong, our children are safe, our borders are secure, and to me, that leader is none other than the 45th president of the United States, Mr. Donald J. Trump.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.