Singer says she'd welcome back George W. Bush over current president

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Donald Trump’s White House is lashing out at The Chicks’ Natalie Maines after the singer criticized the president at a recent concert.
According to an Instagram post shared by Billboard, Maines took aim at Trump at The Chicks’ recent New York City concert, telling the crowd that she would never “shut up and sing.”
Back in 2003, singer Maines and her bandmates, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire, became ostracized by country music fans after comments she made about then-President George W. Bush during a concert in London.
“Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all,” Maines said onstage just days before the U.S. invaded Iraq. “We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.”
At their New York City gig, Maines said she would welcome another Bush presidency if it meant no more Trump.
“We thought that was the worst it could get … I’d give George (W.) Bush a big wet kiss,” she said from the stage. “‘Cause now we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from the United States.”
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Her critique echoed comments she made recently in Chicago, where she referred to Trump as a “deranged nut job.”
Maines’ remarks divided social media users.
“Nobody cares about them. Erased from the radio!!” one person wrote on Instagram, with another adding, “We aren’t relevant, so let’s get political.”
The White House also dismissed Maines’ remarks questioning her relevance in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“Natalie Maines is a despicable nobody who clearly suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted her peanut-sized brain,” they said.
Bush criticism altered Chicks’ career
More than two decades ago, The Chicks (then known as the Dixie Chicks) were effectively banished from country music over Maines’ criticism of Bush.
After The Guardian printed Maines’ comment, the threesome was abandoned by many of their American fans, with radio stations also refusing to play their music.
Bush waded into the fray, telling NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw the group “shouldn’t have their feelings hurt just because some people don’t want to buy their records when they speak out.”
“I don’t really care what the Dixie Chicks said,” Bush said in April 2003. “I want to do what I think is right for the American people, and if some singers or Hollywood stars feel like speaking out, that’s fine. That’s the great thing about America.”
Two days after Maines’ remarks made headlines, she expressed regret over her comments. But on the 20th anniversary of the statement that redefined her band’s career, the frontwoman walked back her apology.
“It set us free,” Maines told the Los Angeles Times, reflecting on her statements. “It got us out of this box of country music, which we never wanted to be in and never felt like that’s who we were.”
She added, “We didn’t have to do any of that bulls*** anymore. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, country music, please take us back.’ It was middle fingers: ‘Bye!’”
Maines has continued to speak out on politics, issuing a sharp rebuke of Trump earlier this year and calling him a “fugly slut.”
“Our democracy is disappearing right before our eyes. This fugly slut is using your gas money to pay the insurrectionists. But don’t worry about it. I’m sure posting selfies will fix everything. My last post that called him a fugly slut got removed. We’ll see how long this one lasts. Repost and help this message live. Named 1M times in the #epsteinfiles,” Maines wrote on Instagram, including the hashtags #democracy, #freespeech and #fuglyslut.
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