Is Oliver Anthony a Republican? Country Singer's Political Beliefs Explored

Since his track "Rich Men North of Richmond" went viral last week, Oliver Anthony has racked up a host of new fans—including some famous faces.

The country singer, who debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, took over iTunes, reached the top of Spotify's Top 50—USA playlist, and has become popular among conservatives. So far, fans of Anthony's music include Republican Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh and conservative politician Majorie Taylor Greene, who called it "the anthem of forgotten Americans."

Podcaster Joe Rogan also posted a video of Anthony singing to his X (formerly Twitter) account on August 11 which received over 1.7 million views.

Despite its popularity, the song's lyrics have been deemed controversial and populist. But where does Anthony, a former factory worker living in Farmville, Virginia, stand on the political spectrum?

Conservative Fans

Since footage of Anthony singing was first shared by online music channel radiowv on August 7, the track has received praise from conservatives for its lyrics. "Rich Men North of Richmond" rails against taxation, welfare cheats, makes references to QAnon and Jeffrey Epstein, and slams the overweight—topics popular amongst conservatives.

"I wish politicians would look out for minors, and not just miners on an island somewhere," Anthony sings in the viral clip, which has received over 31 million views.

The lyrics "But God if you're five foot three, And you're three hundred pounds, Taxes ought not to pay, For your bags of fudge rounds," have been decried as fatphobic by some online.

However, in a video shared on YouTube the day before the song was released, Anthony said that he views himself as "dead center." Newsweek has reached out to Oliver Anthony for comment.

What Are Oliver Anthony's Political Beliefs?

In the clip titled "It's a pleasure to meet you," Anthony said he found an "outlet" in music during the pandemic. He recorded tracks on his cell phone and uploaded them online, where they began to gain traction.

"I started getting messages from people saying how much the music was helping them with their struggles and their lives," he said in the footage. "It really gave me a purpose."

Anthony also said that we are "living in dark times" and "this is really just the beginning of what's to come." He talked about meeting people on job sites struggling to make ends meet, which he blames on taxation. He said that "Rich Men North of Richmond" discusses human trafficking, although he doesn't elaborate on the topic in the video.

"I sit pretty dead-center down the aisle on politics and always have," he said.

Anthony recalls growing up with the "conservatives wanting war," which he didn't understand, and "a lot of controversies when the left took office."

"It seems like both sides serve the same master," he said. "And that master is not someone of any good to the people of this country."

Anthony was also interviewed by Fox News host Griff Jenkins for Fox & Friends on August 20. Ahead of his concert in Moyock, North Carolina, Anthony said he wanted people to "find similarities with each other instead of division."

"I believe God put this message out for people just to give them some hope," he told the reporter.

"If we continue on the path that we're going down now, culturally, we won't have a country in very long."