Country Music Legends Brought Out Explicit Red Fans To Mock Donald Trump After His Midterm Defeat

The Chicks displayed red paper fans bearing a censored insult aimed at President Donald Trump during a concert in Los Angeles on Tuesday, 3 November, as Democrats made sweeping gains in the US midterm elections.

The trio's election-night gesture took place at the Dolby Theatre during their Taking the Long Way 20th-anniversary tour. It also recalled an earlier political backlash that made the band a flashpoint in American country music.

The Chicks Unfold Anti-Trump Paper Fans on Election Night

Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer were seated with their instruments when they opened matching hand-held fans reading 'F–k Trump'. The audience cheered as the musicians began fanning themselves.

'Welcome to our blunami night,' Maines told the crowd, referring to the wave of Democratic victories. She then declared, 'Texas is blue. The Senate is blue. The House is blue.'

'This was gonna be a very different night if that wasn't the case,' she added.

The Texas results gave her words particular weight. Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Governor Greg Abbott, while James Talarico beat Republican Ken Paxton for a US Senate seat. Democrats also captured control of the Texas House of Representatives.

The national picture was still taking shape that night. The Associated Press called Democratic control of the Senate at 11:36pm Eastern on 3 November, followed by the House at 1:24am on 4 November. Trump himself was not on the ballot.

The Chicks Revisit a Protest That Changed Their Careers

The anniversary tour centres on Taking the Long Way, the band's 2006 album recorded after a fierce backlash over Maines' comments about then-President George W. Bush.

At a London concert on 10 March 2003, Maines criticised the impending US-led invasion of Iraq and said she was ashamed that Bush came from Texas. Radio stations dropped the band's songs, and some former fans destroyed their CDs.

'Not Ready to Make Nice', which The Chicks performed again on election night, addressed the fallout. The song won Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2007 Grammy Awards.

The old dispute has acquired a new target. At a New York concert in October, Maines updated her Bush-era criticism, saying she was ashamed that the US president came from the United States.

White House spokesperson Davis Ingle responded before the November election-night performance, calling her a 'despicable nobody' in a statement to Entertainment Weekly. His remarks were not a response to the paper fans.

The band has also sold T-shirts featuring Maines' revised message. She told The New York Times that the design was its second-biggest seller, behind the tour shirt.

The Chicks Join a Wider Celebrity Reaction to Midterms

The Chicks were hardly alone in celebrating the results. On The View on Wednesday, 4 November, Whoopi Goldberg wore floral overalls to 'give the American people their flowers', crediting voters for the outcome.

Her co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump administration official, called the result a 'total and complete repudiation' of the president's policies. Joy Behar mocked him as 'Lame Donald Duck'.

Elsewhere, John Leguizamo described the election as 'redemption time' in a social media video. Pedro Pascal shared a blue map of Texas, while Stephen King offered a two-word verdict on X, 'Buyers' remorse'.

Even James Woods, who has previously supported Trump, congratulated Democratic winners, although he also criticised Republicans over their defeats.