Singer-songwriter Oliver Anthony took to social media to criticize Fox News for using his hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond” during the GOP debate last Wednesday, hilariously revealing that the song was originally written about the very individuals on the stage.

In her opening remarks for Wednesday night’s first Republican primary debate on Fox News, Martha MacCallum made the song the night’s first focal point of discussion.

“Washington, D.C., is about 100 miles north of Richmond,” MacCallum said after playing the song. “Why is this song striking such a nerve in this country right now? What do you think it means?”

In a 10-minute video posted on YouTube, breakout artist Oliver Anthony fired back at the Republican National Committee (RNC) for playing his now-famous song.

“The one thing that has bothered me is seeing people wrap politics up into this,” Anthony said. “It’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news try to identify with me, like I’m one of them. It’s aggravating seeing certain musicians and politicians act like we’re buddies and act like we’re fighting the same struggle here, like that we’re trying to present the same message.”

“I’ve had a lot of people reach out to me and I’ve tried to be polite to everybody and I’ve talked to hundreds of people the last two weeks. It seems like certain people want to just ride the attention of this song to maybe make their own selves relevant. And that’s aggravating as hell.”

Despite his frustration, Anthony couldn’t help but find humor in the fact that his song was played during the debate.

“It was funny seeing my song at the presidential debate because it’s like I wrote that song about those people. So for them to have to sit there and listen to that, that cracks me up.

While some may interpret his song as a dig at Joe Biden, Anthony was quick to clarify: “That song has nothing to do with Joe Biden. It’s a lot bigger than Joe Biden. That song is written the people on that stage, and a lot more too. Not just them, but definitely them.”

WATCH:

In an X post, Martha MacCallum defended using the hit song as a talking point.

“The reason we asked 8 GOP candidates, after playing “Rich Men North of Richmond” and pointing out that DC is just 100 miles N of Richmond was to say, are you on the stage part of the problem that he sings about? or part of the solution?” said MacCallum.

“Asking about the criticism of welfare programs is not blaming the poor. It’s asking if the government is helping or hurting? He sings of people who are deeply frustrated and don’t want anyone trying to control them. It would be a good way to start a Dem or GOP debate, to spark an important conversation,” she added.

The reason we asked 8 GOP candidates, after playing “Rich Men North of Richmond” and pointing out that DC is just 100 miles N of Richmond was to say, are you on the stage part of the problem that he sings about? or part of the solution? Asking about the criticism of welfare…

— Martha MacCallum (@marthamaccallum) August 25, 2023

The Gateway Pundit reported on the meteoric rise of Oliver Anthony’s song Rich Men From Richmond. The powerful anthem is a stinging indictment against the political elite, straight from the heart of every American.

The song has already garnered 41 million views on YouTube, with millions more on platforms like TikTok, where it has been shared countless times.

And now, he can add the number one spot on the US  iTunes Charts to his list of accomplishments.

The lyrics and Oliver’s delivery, are raw, simple, haunting, and speak to the experiences of the average, everyday American.