‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ finds political embrace, criticism
- A country song from Oliver Anthony became an overnight sensation
- 'Rich Men North of Richmond' was featured at the GOP debate
- Some have said the lyrics make references to conspiracy theories
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(NewsNation) — Musician Oliver Anthony’s song “Rich Men North of Richmond” has brought admiration from conservatives and criticism from liberals.
However, Anthony is a self-proclaimed political moderate and on has pushed back on the political embrace.
“It was funny seeing my song … at the presidential debate. ‘Cause it’s like, I wrote that song about those people,” Anthony said in a video on his YouTube channel, in response to the song being featured at the beginning of this week’s 2024 GOP presidential primary debate.
NewsNation legal analyst Jesse Weber says he understands why the song has become a rallying cry for conservatives.
“If you take the words of the song itself, it echoes very much why Trump won in 2016, talking about that forgotten class and the issues that affect them,” Weber said Friday on “Dan Abrams Live” in a roundtable discussion.
The No. 1 song, which points the finger at the powerful elite of Washington, has become an anthem among Republicans, who see it as a criticism of Democrats such as President Joe Biden.
Hannah Cox, president and co-founder of BASEDPolitics, said the song speaks to the experience of working-class Americans.
“Ten years ago, 15 years ago, it would have been a Democratic anthem,” Cox said. “If it’s ‘right-wing,’ it’s because the left has lost touch with the problems of the average working American.”
You can watch a portion of the discussion in the video player above.
