Country singer Jason Aldean is not off the hook in the court of public opinion after he doubled down on his pushback against the backlash over his song “Try That in a Small Town.” Aldean came under fire for the record’s lyrics, which some have deemed racist and infused with pro-lynching rhetoric.

On it, he sings lines such as, “Got a gun that my granddad gave me/ They say one day they’re gonna round up … Try that in a small town/ See how far ya make it down the road/ Around here, we take care of our own/ You cross that line, it won’t take long/ For you to find out, I recommend you don’t … Full of good ol’ boys, raised up right/ If you’re looking for a fight/ Try that in a small town.” The video has been equally scrutinized for showing protests and a courthouse where a Black man was lynched in the 1920s.

Footage circulated from Aldean’s recent concert in Cincinnati has added fuel to the ongoing discourse about the song. While onstage, he hit back at those calling him a racist. “What I am is a proud American; I’m proud to be from here. I love our country, [and] I want to see it restored to what it once was before all this bulls**t started happening to us. I love my country, I love my family, and I will do anything to protect that. I can tell you that,” he said.

He then took aim at cancel culture. “That’s something that if people don’t like what you say, they try and make sure that they can cancel you, which means [to] try and ruin your life, ruin everything,” explained Aldean. The crowd erupted into applause and chanted “USA.”

Today (July 23), several comments about the concert rant suggest that critics remain convinced of the song’s racist origins and Aldean’s stance on the matter. “So you want to make America great again? Got it,” wrote one person. A second person commented, “Translation: restore this country to a time when the n-words knew their place.” And a third remarked, “What it once was? I guess that means when slavery was really an internship.” To view the aforementioned clip, click here.