Tim McGraw has never been an artist to completely shy away from political discourse, but he's not one of the loudest voices of political opinions in country music, either. He did, however, share a few thoughts about the current state of the country in a recent Time Person of the Week podcast.
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In the interview, McGraw spoke about the stark and widening divisions of the country's political parties. The singer attributed this split to the constant consumption of news and opinion. He also sees music as a unifying tool in these times.
"I think the 24 hour news cycle has the most to do with it. And we're always on these devices all the time and hearing stuff that's not necessarily true or stuff that's, just sort of this small segment, instead of hearing what the majority of people really think and feel," he shares in the interview. "And I think for the most part, if we can get back to just realizing that we're more alike than we are different...and I always try to just let my music speak to that."
With tensions already rising as the country gets ready to enter another Presidential election, McGraw shared a few more of his views. Specifically, he spoke about former President Trump and the attack on the U.S. Capitol by some of his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.
"[January 6] was one of the saddest days in our country's history, I believe," he says. "It was tough to watch. And I couldn't believe that it had actually happened. And hopefully it will never happen again."
"I'm not going to give [Trump] any air," he adds. "From my perspective and my world, that's just so far out there that I can't even put words to it. I want what's best for our country. I want what's best for the majority of people in our country. I think that everybody deserves the right to live their life in the best way that they possibly can and to soar in the best way. I think that we certainly need to get back to some civility, on both sides."
McGraw delved more into politics later in the interview, including his strong belief in a woman's "right to choose." He cites his three daughters in his fight for issues affecting women. The singer and avid hunter also waded into the controversial waters of gun control, saying, "It has everything to do with just good policy."
"I think there should be some red flag laws. And I don't see any issue with that," he says. "And I think most of America agrees with that. I don't understand why we can't just all figure it out. But I'm not going to sit here and say I want to take everybody's guns away."
McGraw released his 16th studio album, Standing Room Only, in August.
