Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley are poking fun at the Country Music Association for the restrictive media guidelines it instituted and quickly retracted for Wednesday's show.
Underwood told Paisley that producers required the show to be a "politics-free zone" before making jokes at expense of key figures in both political parties, as well as President Donald Trump.
Paisley, strapped with his guitar, then playfully asked if that meant he'd be barred from performing such songs as "Hold Me Closer, Bernie Sanders" and "Stand By Your Manafort."
.@BradPaisley & @CarrieUnderwood's host opening gave us ALL the feels! #CMAawards - it's LIVE now on @ABCNetwork! pic.twitter.com/kDHmwSdPzN
— CMA Country Music (@CountryMusic) November 9, 2017
The 10-time hosts then proceeded with a parody of Underwood's 2005 hit "Before He Cheats," reconfigured to address the commander in chief. They sang about a gold-plated White House toilet seat, leading into a chorus of "Maybe next time he'll think before he tweets."
The Country Music Association initially asked journalists covering the show to refrain from asking musicians about recent shootings or political happenings. Artists and journalists balked at the restrictions, which were quickly lifted.
