Crockett’s Post Follows A Divisive Grammy Awards And Super Bowl Halftime Show
For two weekends in a row, Americans have seen firsthand how entertainment and politics overlap. First, with the 68th Grammy Awards on Feb. 1, and then again with Super Bowl LX and its Halftime Show performance by Bad Bunny.
There was also the Turning Point USA “All-American Halftime Show.”
Sometimes, politics in these cultural events is more obvious, and, at other times, it’s subtle — but it’s there, all the same.
Charley Crockett, a prolific country and Americana singer-songwriter, was witness to this political intersection as he attended the Grammy’s as a nominee in the new award category Best Traditional Country Album, for his 2025 album Dollar A Day.
There, the likes of Bad Bunny and Shaboozey made overtly political remarks in their award acceptance speeches, while Jelly Roll tried to speak beyond politics by invoking a call to Jesus.
For Charley, this was dissatisfactory, and he went on to write, at length, about the hypocrisy he has observed in country music, as well as the nation at large.
Read Charley Crockett’s Critique Of Jelly Roll And Trumpism
In 2015, Charley Crockett released his debut album, and he’s released 15 albums since then, with two being released in 2025 alone.
Naturally, Charley has a lot to say, and he has occasionally used his social media presence to speak out on issues he sees in music and the world.
Writing on Feb. 8, just before the Super Bowl kickoff, Charley began by acknowledging that some say he is a “cosplay cowboy.”
This particular term was initially directed at Charley by rising country artist Gavin Adcock in the summer of 2025, with the term “cosplay cowboy” likely being directed at Charley for his often colorful Western attire (akin to the dandies who embodied country music in the 1950s through the 1970s).
Further, Gavin sees Charley as an opportunist.
Last summer, Charley defended Beyoncé, directing the frustration many have had with the expansion of the country music genre to what he described as “25 years of bro country.”
This led to the start of a significant feud (something Gavin has experience with) that Charley referred back to on Feb. 8, when he began his post by writing, “They keep saying I’m a cosplay cowboy but they love a cosplay president.”
From there, he then called President Donald Trump a “draft dodger.”
Without saying Jelly Roll’s name, Charley went on to write, “When I was at the Grammys the other night I saw a guy get up and talk about Jesus, and then I saw Bad Bunny get up there and talk like Jesus.”
This sentiment is not original to Charley, as it was seen online as a meme of sorts following the Grammys.
As he accepted the Grammy for Best Contemporary Country Album, Jelly Roll memorably said, “Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by no music label. Jesus is Jesus, and anybody can have a relationship with Him. I love you Lord.”
Afterward, Jelly Roll was asked about his silence on political matters, specifically regarding the American immigration enforcement policy. Jelly Roll replied, “People shouldn’t care to hear my opinion, man. You know? I’m a dumb redneck.”
Bad Bunny, on the other hand, called out U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say, ‘ICE out.’”
With this in mind, Charley then wrote, “The country music establishment should be taking notes on a Puerto Rican American who hasn’t forgotten his heritage and brought his culture’s traditional music back to the front, showing the world something new with it.”
In his somewhat disjointed post, he then pivoted back to Trump, stating, “The President is a grifter who bankrupted 6 casinos. That’s pretty extraordinary considering it’s a rigged business in favor of the house. The only thing he’s good at is filing lawsuits and portraying a successful business man as a reality TV actor.”
While he made no mention of First Lady Melania Trump, who immigrated to the United States from Slovenia in 2001 and became a citizen in 2006, Charley went on to call out other influential Trump allies from other nations, writing, “Last time I checked Elon Musk was an immigrant from South Africa but there he is standing in the White House buying our elections. Let’s deport his ass and send Peter Thiel back with him since they both openly believe in a post democratic society where men of their class are above the law.”
Alluding to Trump’s hush money scandal, which saw him convicted in 2024 in New York, Charley added, “Forgive me if I have a problem with a 34 time convicted felon running this country when I lost the right to vote or own a weapon for years over marijuana.”
From there, Charley shifted from progressive mantras to common slogans, including a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quote, saying:
- “As long as you’re hating the oppressed and loving your oppressor you’ll never know why our generation is poorer than our parents and grandparents.”
- “As a great man once said it’s welfare for the rich and rugged individualism for the poor.”
- “If you can sleep at night licking their boots that’s between you and yours, but that type of thinking isn’t freedom. It’s mental slavery.”
- “Every single right we have as a people wasn’t handed to us. We had to fight and take it.”
- “Judge a man by how he treats the poor and those who he views as being able to do nothing for him.”
Concluding his post, he wrote, “Don’t forget why Muhammad Ali said ‘I am America.’ Remember the coal miners of Harlan County, Kentucky. I believe in what we can be. Ride on.”
See his full post, here:
View this post on Instagram
On Friday, Feb. 13, Charley Crockett released his new song, “Kentucky Too Long,” which can be hward, here:
