Rising country star Carly Tefft has alleged that her planned performances were canceled by a Cape Cod venue due to her singing the national anthem at a Donald Trump rally. Tefft shared her account of the incident during an interview with the Howie Carr Show, shedding light on the controversy surrounding her performance and its aftermath.
According to Tefft, she received a call from the owner of Harvest Gallery, a restaurant known for its art and music in Dennis, Massachusetts, just five days after her performance. Despite having performed at the venue multiple times before, Tefft claimed that the owner cited “controversy” and expressed concern about his customer base feeling threatened as the reason for canceling her future appearances.
During their conversation, Tefft recounted that the owner compared featuring her name on the live music schedule to hanging obscene artwork on the wall. He also inquired about her political affiliations, to which Tefft responded by emphasizing her support for God and the opportunity to unite people with the national anthem by a former president.
“‘I can’t have nude artistry hanging in my space,’ he said, and he was comparing that to what I did,” Tefft said, according to the Howie Carr Show.
She also recalled the owner asking her whether she was a Trump supporter.
“I just sighed. I knew that no matter what I said, he had already made up his mind. That’s his business, and that’s his prerogative,” Tefft said.
She reported that she responded, “Truth be told, the only person I wholeheartedly support is God. This was an opportunity to bring people together with the national anthem by a former president.”
As a result of the venue’s decision, Tefft expressed her disappointment, emphasizing that being banned for her work was a first for her. She also voiced her concern over the implications it had for her children and their future, highlighting the importance of tolerance and acceptance regardless of personal beliefs.
Tefft said, “I thought, this is just me. I’m cool with it. But what it actually represents, I’m not cool with. My kids one day, just because they go to one church or like one person or support one team, if they can’t work somewhere, that’s not okay.”
Despite the setback, Tefft remains optimistic and committed to her music. On her Twitter account, she shared a video of her song “Freedom in This Country,” which conveys messages of unity and positive change. Tefft hinted at potentially re-releasing the song, inviting her followers to offer their opinions on the matter.
Feel like I should re-release this tune…what do y’all think? pic.twitter.com/O1eMoIag0W
— Carly Tefft (@CarlyTefft) June 14, 2023
