Brad Paisley Has Rubbed Elbows With Presidents Before, but What Are His Political Beliefs?

There was a time when celebrities were a separate entity from politics. While some have always been outspoken (and a glaring example of an early crossover was when actor Ronald Reagan became the 40th President of the United States), most people might have once gone their entire lives without hearing what the political stances of their favorite celebrities were.

All of that has gone out the window, especially with the rise of a reality TV star to the role of President with Donald Trump.

Now, every celebrity is expected to log their political beliefs with the court of public opinion and be judged on how well they support their side. But what about when a celebrity belongs to a genre of music or entertainment that generally leans in one direction, and they might lean the other?

This setup has raised questions about one country singer in particular: Brad Paisley. His politics might not be what you expect.

Country music was once the sound of the working man. Regardless of political leaning, the music was meant to touch the hearts and souls of those who work a 9 to 5, or 6 to 6, getting their hands dirty daily and struggling to pay bills like every average person does.

However, the genre was co-opted by Conservative politics sometime around the mid-2010s, as a number of high-profile country singers began throwing their lot in with Trump, including Toby Keith and Kid Rock.

Which is why it was so surprising to see stars like Brad go the opposite direction. Although he hasn't clearly stated his political leanings one way or the other, we can put two and two together through some of his statements and actions.

Brad spoke with positivity after the first election of Trump, telling People, “I am really sick of this climate — really sick of the negativity."

He added, "I have two little boys, and I want them to feel like this is the nation that I know. That this is the nation that isn’t petty.” Brad continued, “We have to be as good as we want to be as a nation. We have to do these things, we have to find love.”

While this might not suggest one side or the other, Brad later performed for President Joe Biden at the White House as he welcomed Governors and their spouses for the 2023 National Governors Association meeting.

In 2024, he made headlines again for hosting a dinner in Nashville as he and his wife, Kimberly, mulled over an endorsement of then-President Biden (via Newsweek).

The couple evidently held a fundraiser attended by former First Lady Jill Biden, which would seem to suggest that they are supportive of Democrats, if not exactly openly so. Brad also once teamed up with the former First Lady to support COVID vaccines, according to Taste of Country.

Interestingly enough, Brad has brushed elbows with several Presidents, including ones that don't come from the United States.

While Biden was in office, he hosted the President of Kenya, William Ruto, and First Lady Rachel Ruto. Brad performed for the two Presidents, marking another event where he publicly tied himself to the Biden administration (via CNN).

While Brad may not come out and state his politics directly, it's clear that he has some very specific political leanings behind the scenes. It may be difficult to be an outspoken Democrat in the Republican-heavy genre of country music, but he's not alone.

Stars like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, as well as Kacey Musgraves and others (per NPR), are known for speaking publicly in favor of Democrat-leaning ideals, placing Brad in a small but growing group of country music stars.