There is nothing authentic about the viral country hit “Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony, say journalists. His real name is Christopher Anthony Lunsford. He is a “conservative industry plant, astroturfed into existence by all the Daily Wire freaks and some right-wing social media promoter,” according to an online sleuth. “The entire concept was likely dreamt up in a Daily Wire/Con Inc laboratory,” acknowledged a Trump supporter.

But if it is just a deep folksy fake, it’s a great one. …

In truth, there’s really only one thing in the song that might be reasonably considered conservative, and that’s a single line criticizing welfare. There’s nothing racist whatsoever in the song.

And if Lunsford is a grifter, he’s not a particularly good one. In his Facebook post, Lunsford said that he lives a 27-foot-long camper that he bought on Craigslist for $750. Its roof is a tarp.

[He used his grandfather’s name as an homage to his hard-scrabble Appalachian life. He’s hardly the first pop, rock, or country musician to use a stage name. And all of this milkshake-ducking of Anthony is an attempt to distract from his message, and his genuine nature in expressing it. — Ed]