Is Jason Aldean's 'Try That in a Small Town' Racist?

Country music star Jason Aldean has been the subject of controversy in recent days for a song that critics claim promotes gun violence and for its video that was filmed at the site of a lynching.

The song, "Try That in a Small Town," drew little negative reaction when it was released in May. That changed with the July 14 release of the video, which resulted in a debate about the song's lyrics and the imagery.

Accusations of the video being racist led to Country Music Television (CMT) pulling it from rotation, which caused backlash from conservatives who defended Aldean as being a victim of—as Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said—"cancel culture."