The White House responded sharply after Natalie Maines, lead singer of The Chicks, criticized President Donald Trump during a concert in Manhattan this week. The performance was part of the band’s anniversary tour for its album “Taking the Long Way,” with Maines appearing alongside bandmates Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the White House called Maines a “despicable nobody” and said she had a “peanut-sized brain.” The statement also accused her of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” The White House provided the same language in response to a separate Maines post in May, according to the report.
At the concert, Maines revisited the backlash that followed her 2003 criticism of then-President George W. Bush. Billboard reported that she said she would not yield to people telling musicians to “shut up and sing.” Referring to the reaction to her earlier remarks, she said the situation had once seemed as bad as it could get, then joked that she would now give Bush “a big wet kiss.” She added that she was ashamed the U.S. president was from the United States.
Maines’s original 2003 comment had expressed opposition to the Iraq war and said the band was ashamed that Bush was from Texas. The remarks drew significant criticism at the time, according to the source report. Her latest comparison again put her political views at the center of discussion surrounding the group’s performances.
Reactions posted on social media were divided. Some users objected to political commentary at a concert, with one Instagram commenter saying they wanted to hear the music rather than a political rant. Another said they had paid for a ticket to hear the band’s songs. Other commenters praised The Chicks for speaking out and supported Maines’s statements.
The report also cited a profanity-laden Instagram post Maines made in May, in which she accused Trump of damaging democracy and criticized his use of public funds. Maines wrote that an earlier post using an insult about Trump had been removed and asked followers to repost the newer message. The White House’s response to that post used the same personal language it issued after her concert remarks.
A representative for Maines had not immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment, the report said. The source material does not include a further response from the singer or additional comment from the White House.
