Natalie Maines, lead vocalist of renowned country group The Chicks, launched a scathing critique of former President Donald Trump this week.
In a foul-mouthed tirade posted to Instagram on Monday, the 51-year-old country singer called Trump, 79, a ‘fugly slut’ and warned that ‘our democracy is disappearing right before our eyes.’
Known for her outspoken political views, Maines revisited the controversy that erupted 23 years ago when she publicly criticized then-President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq. At that time, her remarks led to widespread backlash, including a ban of The Chicks—formerly The Dixie Chicks—from numerous country radio stations and even threats against the band.
The Daily Mail has sought feedback from Trump’s representatives regarding Maines’ comments.
In her recent post, Maines shared an official image of Trump, showcasing him with a stern expression and a raised eyebrow against the backdrop of the American flag.
Maines did not hold back in her critique, accusing Trump of using taxpayer money for questionable purposes. She implied that funds were being diverted to support insurrectionists, referencing both heightened gas prices linked to Trump’s policies in Iran and a contentious IRS agreement worth nearly $1.8 billion, which has faced significant opposition from Democrats and ethics advocates.
Natalie Maines of the country music icons The Chicks issued a blistering, foul-mouthed rant about President Donald Trump on Instagram on Monday, in which she called him a ‘fugly slut’; pictured with Emily Robinson (L) of The Chicks in 2023 in Cardiff, Wales
Maines included this official portrait of President Donald Trump as she claimed that ‘This fugly slut is using your gas money to pay the insurrectionists’
‘Our democracy is disappearing right before our eyes,’ Maines began her caption.
‘This fugly slut is using your gas money to pay the insurrectionists,’ she continued, seemingly alluding both to Trump’s war in Iran, which has caused a massive hike in gas prices, and to a controversial deal he struck with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to create a nearly $1.8 billion fund that Democrats and ethics experts have fiercely criticized.
‘But don’t worry about it. I’m sure posting selfies will fix everything,’ Maines continued.
The Ready To Run singer also alleged that her ‘last post that called [Trump] a fugly slut got removed. We’ll see how long this one lasts.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to The Chicks for comment.
Maines concluded by urging her followers to share her post to ‘help the message live,’ and she referenced Representative Jamie Raskin’s claim to Axios in February that his search for ‘Trump’ in a database of unredacted files relating to Jeffrey Epstein garnered over one million search results.
Raskin later clarified that he had searched for the terms ‘Trump,’ ‘Donald’ and ‘Don,’ and he said that not every search result necessarily referenced Trump.
Maines added hashtags for ‘democracy,’ ‘freespeech’ and ‘fugly slut.’
The singer’s fury appears to have been over a lawsuit against the Treasury and IRS in the Southern District of Florida in response to the leak of their tax returns, filed by Trump his sons Don Jr. and Eric and the Trump Organization
‘Our democracy is disappearing right before our eyes,’ Maines wrote. The Chicks were banned from thousands of country stations and sent a bevy of death threats after she criticized George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq in London in 2003; seen in 2023 at Glastonbury
Maines subsequently issued an apology for her remarks about Bush, but in 2006 she rescinded it. ‘I don’t feel that way anymore,’ she said in an interview with Time. ‘I don’t feel he is owed any respect whatsoever’; Bush is. pictured on May 1, 2003
Maines included photos of insurrectionist rioters entering the Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021
She seemingly alluding both to Trump’s war in Iran, which has caused a massive hike in gas prices, and to a controversial deal he struck with the IRS to create a $1.8b ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ to issue formal apologies and provide monetary relief to claimants; rioters are picutred in the Capitol on January 6, 2021
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Her fury appears to have been sparked by news that the president, his sons Don Jr. and Eric and the Trump Organization had filed a lawsuit against the Treasury and IRS in the Southern District of Florida in response to the leak of their tax returns.
In exchange for dropping the lawsuit, the IRS agreed to create a $1.776 billion ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund,’ which will be able to issue formal apologies and provide monetary relief to claimants.
The fund will be governed by a five-member commission appointed by the Attorney General, who was appointed by Trump. Trump will also have the power to remove any member from the commission.
While Trump is technically barred from directly receiving payments from the fund, entities associated with him are not explicitly prohibited from filing additional claims.
The settlement drew immediate fury from Democrats, among them Senate Finance Committee member Ron Wyden, who said the move represented a brazen new level of corruption.
‘Even by his standards, the move he’s trying to get away with now is a stunning act of corruption,’ said Wyden.
‘What Trump wants is a $1.7 billion slush fund for right-wing political violence and subversion, and if he follows through, it will be the most brazen theft and abuse of taxpayer dollars by any president in American history.’
Maines’ criticism of the current president comes more than two decades after she attacked George W. Bush for the start of the second Iraq War.
Maines alleged in her comment that a previous post calling Trump a ‘fugly slut’ had been taken down; pictured with Emily Robison (L) and Martie Maguire of The Chicks in 2024 in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention
The Dixie Chicks later shortened their name to just The Chicks in June 2020, following years of criticism over the connections ‘Dixie’ has to the history of slavery in the US; Maines is pictured in
‘Just so you know, we’re ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas,’ she said on stage at a concert in London.
Her comments and the backlash to them from fans and corporate country radio stations led to a rapid commercial decline for The Chicks.
They also faced pushback from other country artists who were publicly supportive of Bush and the Iraq War, among whom Toby Keith was one of the most vocal.
Maines subsequently issued an apology for her remarks, but in 2006 she rescinded it.
‘I don’t feel that way anymore,’ she said in an interview with Time. ‘I don’t feel he is owed any respect whatsoever.’
The Dixie Chicks later shortened their name to just The Chicks in June 2020, following years of criticism over the connections ‘Dixie’ has to the history of slavery in the US.
The Chicks also cited protests brought on by the killing of George Floyd and the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement as inspirations to change their name.
The group claimed they had wanted to change ‘that stupid name’ for years after they settled on it while they were still in their teens.
