Nate Smith Says Getting The Courage To Wear A MAGA Hat On Stage Was The Proudest Moment Of His Career: “Don’t Know Why It’s So Scary To Be Who You Are”

Be true to yourself.

While there are plenty of country artists who aren’t afraid to share their political beliefs, there are just as many who choose not to speak on politics or reveal their views.

And to be clear, there’s nothing wrong with either way. If you want to speak out, you should be able to, and if you don’t want to, that’s your right and nobody should criticize you for that either. That’s what’s beautiful about America.

The problem, though, comes when people try to silence or bully others for their political beliefs.

For a long time, it seemed that there were a lot of “closet” supporters of President Donald Trump, people who quietly supported and voted for him but were afraid to admit it out of fear of backlash or getting “canceled,” labeled a racist, sexist, homophobic…whatever buzzword is popular at the time.

And honestly, for an artist who depends on support from fans for their career, I can see why they would want to be careful. They don’t want to alienate any portion of their fanbase, and they also don’t want to find themselves the target of criticism from the other side that could derail or ruin their career. I can’t really judge them for it, because it’s a tough position to be in.

But apparently it was one that country singer Nate Smith was sick of being in himself.

Over the weekend, many artists paid tribute to conservative media personality Charlie Kirk after he was horrifically assassinated last Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University. And while opening up for Jason Aldean in Chicago over the weekend, somebody handed the “Wasted On You” singer a “Make America Great Again” hat from the crowd, which the singer quickly put on while singing one of his biggest hits.

Video of the moment quickly went viral, not only because Nate has never really revealed his politics but because it’s not every day you see an artist (especially a newer artist and an opening act) reveal their political stance mid-show. (Although if there’s a safe space to admit that you’re a Trump supporter, it’s probably a Jason Aldean show).

@graceolsen50

crowd went insane @Nate Smith Country #fyp #foryou #maga #jasonaldean

♬ original sound – Grace Olsen

Well after the viral moment, Nate took to his Instagram to share a photo of himself on stage with the MAGA hat, while paying tribute to Charlie Kirk:

“This week was one none of us will ever forget. Continue to join me in prayer for the Kirk family. America truly is grieving. However, what I witnessed over the last few days I’ve seen a strength in America that moves me to tears. I’ve seen a boldness and a courage, and an unapologetic approach to standing firm on the side of truth. America is alive and well friends. Let’s continue to make it great again.”

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A post shared by Nate Smith (@natesmith)

And in a video posted to his social media, Nate called the moment one of the proudest of his career, admitting that it felt good to finally find the courage to reveal his beliefs to his fans:

“Truthfully, that was the proudest moment of my entire career so far. Not even a question, because being on stage in Chicago, getting handed that hat, being able to put it on, being able to live fully authentic to who I am in front of everybody just felt right. And it felt good and it felt free.

And I’ll tell you what, I’ve never felt more spirit of America, spirit of patriotism in my entire life than I did on that stage. It was, it was unbelievable. And I just want to say thank you for that.

I also want to say, I don’t know why it’s been so scary to just be who you are at all times. Like why is it so scary to be like, ‘Yep, I voted for Trump. Yep. I’m a conservative.’ Cool…

Why is that? Why is that such a hard thing to say on a public forum? It’s not.”

Nate says that recent events changed his perspective on things, and that he realized he’s gained new fans now that he’s found the courage to speak out for what he believes:

“I think everything that happened in the world recently, like just changed my entire perspective where I’m like, I just don’t even care anymore. I’m just going to live my full authentic self. And I found new fans, I’m so thankful for you guys. Thank you for coming on. Welcome, welcome aboard. I’m happy to have you here. This is amazing. And I think we got a lot in common. It’s awesome.”

And he also expressed his optimism that better days are ahead for America:

“I just wanted to say thank you. I really believe that America is gonna come into an incredible moment. Incredible moment where like faith is gonna just be the big thing. People are gonna come to Jesus in droves. People are gonna start figuring out all this crazy stuff. So anyways, thank you. I love you guys.”

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A post shared by Nate Smith (@natesmith)

Seems like he’s pretty relieved.

I’ll say, I’ve met Nate before and he was just a nice, genuine dude. (And I’m not just saying that because I agree with his politics). I’ve also seen him jump offstage in the middle of a performance to help a fan who was getting sick from the heat, because he happens to be a former nurse.

It’s a good lesson for artists who feel like they have to stay quiet about their beliefs because they’re worried about what others will think. Speak your mind (if you want to), and the real fans will be there no matter what.The post Nate Smith Says Getting The Courage To Wear A MAGA Hat On Stage Was The Proudest Moment Of His Career: “Don’t Know Why It’s So Scary To Be Who You Are” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.