The country trio reflected on the controversy that inspired their Grammy-winning album while making pointed remarks about the current political climate

NEED TO KNOW

• The Chicks singer Natalie Maines compared President Donald Trump to former President George W. Bush during the band’s 20th anniversary tour
• The singer revisited the controversy sparked by her 2003 comments criticizing Bush and the Iraq War
• The band has been performing its 2006 Grammy-winning album Taking the Long Way in full while sharing stories about the backlash that inspired it

The Chicks are looking back at one of the most controversial moments in their career.

During the country trio’s 20th anniversary tour celebrating their 2006 album Taking the Long Way, Natalie Maines reflected on the backlash the band faced after criticizing then-President George W. Bush in 2003, while also taking aim at President Donald Trump.

“It was 20 years ago, and a lot has changed since then,” Maines, 52, told the audience during the group’s Nov. 1 performance at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, according to a Variety. “Now I would give George Bush a big kiss. Now we’re ashamed the President of the United States from the United States.”

The remark drew a strong reaction from the audience, with Maines also referencing a recent response from the White House to her criticism of Trump. She joked that the administration had issued a statement “calling me a peanut head… or peanut brain, I can’t remember,” Variety reported.

The White House previously took aim at Maines after she shared a social media post criticizing Trump and his administration. In the post, the singer wrote, “Our democracy is disappearing right before our eyes,” before accusing the president of “using your gas money to pay the insurrectionists,” referring to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

“Natalie Maines is a despicable nobody who clearly suffers from a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted her peanut-sized brain,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle responded in a May statement to PEOPLE.

Maines’ latest comments echo the moment that put the band at the center of a national political controversy more than two decades ago.

In March 2003, while performing in London, Maines criticized Bush over the Iraq War, telling the audience, “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence. And we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.”

The remarks sparked widespread backlash, with some fans destroying their CDs and country radio stations largely pulling the group’s music from the airwaves.

The controversy became the inspiration for The Chicks’ 2006 album Taking the Long Way, particularly the song “Not Ready to Make Nice,” which Maines wrote with bandmates Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer. The track addressed the backlash the trio experienced and went on to win three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

As the group marks the album’s 20th anniversary, the band is revisiting that period through performances of the record in its entirety, along with stories about the experiences that shaped it. The tour has also given Maines opportunities to draw comparisons between the political climate of the early 2000s and the present day.

During the group’s Nov. 1 Hollywood performance, Maines also brought up a recent visit to former President Barack Obama’s museum in Chicago, before performing “I Hope.” She told the audience the visit gave the band hope of one day seeing a country that is not “run by a deranged nutjob,” according to Variety.

She also put a contemporary spin on “White Trash Wedding” during the show’s greatest-hits portion. Before singing the line “You can’t afford no ring,” Maines joked, “Because gas prices are too high! And electricity. And MediCal!” according to the outlet.

During the group’s Nov. 3 performance, all three members also held up large fans bearing the words “F–k Trump,” Variety reported.

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The Chicks’ anniversary tour was originally scheduled to conclude in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Nov. 3, but the group had postponed its Nov. 2 performance because of an unspecified illness. The show was rescheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4, with previously purchased tickets honored for the new date, the band announced on Instagram.

PEOPLE has reached out to The Chicks and the White House for comment.

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