Jason Aldean, Brittany Kerr Sit Next to Trump in MAGA Box

Country music singer Jason Aldean made an appearance alongside former President Donald Trump on the final night of the Republican National Convention.

Aldean and his wife Brittany Kerr were spotted with Trump in the MAGA friends and family box earlier Thursday evening, hours before Trump was set to speak and accept the party’s nomination.

The Aldeans have long-standing ties with Trump, and Jason Aldean has publicly defended Trump on social media, especially after the former president’s criminal conviction earlier this year.

The convention has been ongoing in Milwaukee since Monday, featuring speakers from Trump’s family, former aides, and elected officials who have used their platform to express their support for him.

During a concert, after Trump survived an assassination attempt, Aldean dedicated his song “Try That in a Small Town” to Trump. “President Trump’s a friend of mine so I want to send this next song out to him,” Aldean stated in social media footage from the event. “We all know what’s going to happen come November, so it’s all good. Just goes to show you there’s a lot of (expletive) in the world, and that’s kind of what this song right here was about, so this one goes out to the pres.”

The song and its music video, which included recent protest footage, caused significant controversy. Critics labeled it a “dog whistle” and “pro-lynching,” charges Aldean denied by insisting the video does not reference race and includes only real news clips.

Following the assassination attempt, Aldean took to Instagram to hail Trump as a “warrior.”

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY