Luke Bryan broke his silence after much of liberal Twitter erupted over his decision to bring out Florida's Gov. Ron DeSantis at his Jacksonville concert on Friday.
The country musician took to his Twitter to address the apparent controversy, writing in part, "I typically don't respond to stuff when I'm getting run down on a social platform but here's the deal. I understand Governor Desantis is a very polarizing figure. But I grew up in a country where if a governor ask you if they can come and raise awareness to help victims of a natural disaster you help."
He noted, "I've generally stayed out of politics throughout my career. I knew people would chatter about this but for me the more important piece was If I am going to come back there a few weeks after a large portion of people have been affected by a natural disaster in a state where people have been good to me this felt right."
In September, local Florida officials reported that 132 people had died due to Hurricane Ian.
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The "American Idol" judge continued, "Raise awareness, have a little fun between the GA and FL college fans before the game and do what I love on stage. This is all I'm saying about this. I'll be outdoors with my boys. Enjoy your Sunday. Love y'all #GoDawgs."
Bryan, a native of Georgia, referenced the Georgia Bulldogs defeat over the Florida Gators on Saturday.
He concluded his statement by saying, "Text: disaster to 20222 to support."
On Saturday, Gov. DeSantis tweeted his appreciation to Bryan for the opportunity, writing, "Thanks for letting me crash the party last night."
In a video shared on Twitter, the Governor was seen tossing what appeared to be hats to the very large Bryan crowd as he walked on stage.
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Responses to Bryan's statement were mixed.
Many fans commended the musician for speaking openly on the topic, writing, "You are an upstanding man and the FL Governor rocks." Another tweeted, "I love you SO MUCH, Luke. Your true fans know your heart and what you are all about. Enjoy your family and ignore all the haters. Social media is ridiculous."
Others were wary of Bryan's remarks, with one person writing, "You have to understand your visibility and be careful who you associate with. Will you stand with a group of immigrants that DeSantis has vilified? Or families of gun violence?"
