In 2017, Eminem released his song “Revival” at a time when Donald Trump was into his second year as the President, following his election victory in 2016. It wasn’t long before his lyrics caught the attention of the Secret Service. Specifically, in 2018, Eminem mentioned in his song “The Ringer” that he had been visited by Secret Service agents. This visit was due to concerns that his lyrics might pose a threat to President Trump.
Many might find it hard to believe that a rapper, even one as influential as Eminem, could literally bypass the entire U.S. intelligence apparatus to harm the President. Yet, the lyrics from “The Ringer” express this surreal scenario: “But I know at least he’s heard it / cause Agent Orange just sent the Secret Service to meet in person to see if I really think of hurtin’ him / or ask if I’m linked to terrorists.” Here, “Agent Orange” refers to Donald Trump, not the harmful chemical.
Though song lyrics often stretch the truth, in Eminem’s case, these words were apparently literal, prompting a real investigation by the Secret Service. The troublesome lyrics from “Revival” that led to this situation are quite provocative: “Donald Duck’s on as the Tonka Truck in the yard. But dog, how the f*ck is Ivanka Trump in the trunk of my car?… Cause I feel somewhat responsible for the dumb little blonde girl, that motherf*ckin’ baton twirler that got dumped in the pond. Second murder with no recollection of it …”
This incident was not Eminem’s first brush with controversy regarding his lyrics, as Secret Service documents obtained through a freedom of information request revealed. “This is not the first time MATHERS made threatening comments towards POTUS and his family. In June 2017, MATHERS freestyled comments that were threatening in nature towards POTUS,” the documents stated.
The tip that sparked the Secret Service’s interest reportedly came from a TMZ employee who questioned, “I want to know if your agency is investigating Eminem for his threatening lyrics about first daughter Ivanka Trump.”
Ultimately, after a meeting with Eminem and his legal team, the Secret Service decided not to take any further action on the matter.