Jason Aldean Speaks at Trump Rally, Shares ‘Amazing’ Golf Story [Watch]
· NewsTalk 1290Jason Aldean was back in his home state on Wednesday (Oct. 23) to speak at a rally organized by Turning Point Action in support of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
Aldean, a longtime friend and supporter of the former president, introduced Trump to the stage with a four-minute speech and a couple of personal stories. One of those was a golfing anecdote that the singer said illustrates who Trump is "when the cameras are not rolling."
He went on to recount his first meeting with Trump, when the two played a round of golf together in Florida.
"And so we're coming up to a green one day and his grounds crew was working. They kinda got out of the way so we could finish the hole," Aldean remembers.
"After we're done, he walks up — there's, like, four of these guys — he walks up and says, 'Hey man, nice to meet you, how long have you been here? How long have you worked here?' I think the guy told him five or six years. He just shoved him off about $500. Thanked him for his loyalty to him."
Aldean recalls that Trump then went down the line, greeting each of the workers and handing them each some cash.
"Never turned around. No cameras rolling, anything. And it told me a lot about the guy the very first time I ever met him," the country star says.
The second anecdote was one country fans might already know. Earlier this month, after Hurricane Helene's devastating path impacted much of the southeast, including Georgia, Trump's GoFundMe quickly raised $6.5 million towards storm response and recovery efforts.
Read More: Jason Aldean Puts $500k Toward Trump's Hurricane Helene GoFundMe
During his hometown show in Macon, Ga. on Oct. 5, Aldean dedicated a segment of the concert to presenting the check from the GoFundMe to Samaritan's Purse. He also added $500,000 of his own to the donation, bringing the total amount donated that night to over $7 million.
"That's why I'm friends with President Trump. That's why I'm gonna cast — already cast my vote Monday, for President Trump, as a matter of fact," the singer says.
He and his wife Brittney shared a recap video of their trip to the polls earlier this week.
Aldean also brought up a song of his called "Try That in a Small Town," which garnered controversy after its 2023 release when some listeners described it as racist dog-whistling and a glorification of gun violence.
Aldean relates his experience with the song to what he describes as the media's bias against Trump.
Read More: Jason Aldean Issues Statement on "Try That in a Small Town"
"I've seen firsthand how the media can twist the truth," he said from his platform. "... The song simply called out people for trashing our cities, harming people, disrespecting law enforcement and costing our taxpayers millions of dollars for their unruly behavior."
"But no one is on the receiving end of lies and fake news more than President Trump. That's a fact," he adds. "He endures more than the average person can fathom, and the fact that he doesn't need to be here but chooses to be here says everything I need to know."
Election Day is fast approaching: The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 5.