Not every country outlaw wears a cowboy hat or cuts their teeth in a honky tonk. Some of them roll into the White House with a vape pen in their pocket and enough nerve to light it up in the West Wing. And if you thought only Willie Nelson had that kind of outlaw edge, think again, because now we know Ernest did it too.
The Nashville hitmaker and longtime Morgan Wallen collaborator just admitted what nobody saw coming. While sitting down for an interview at the Taste of Country Nights studio, Ernest was asked about working with Snoop Dogg on their song “Gettin’ Gone.” One thing led to another, and before you know it, he casually drops a bombshell like it was no big deal.
“I hit a vape pen in the White House,” he said. “Not a big deal, just ripped a pen in the White House.”
Wait. What?
Naturally, the room stopped. But Ernest, cool as ever, doubled down. He explained it happened during a private tour, somewhere in the West Wing. And he didn’t make a scene about it either. He just slipped that pen out and took what he called “a little sneaky airplane hit.” He even demonstrated how he did it, fist around the vape, thumb and finger making a gap, then a discreet exhale like it was just another Tuesday.
Sure, it wasn’t a whole joint on the roof like Willie Nelson back in the day. But this is the 2020s, and times have changed. This is the modern equivalent. A sleek little pen, a silent puff, and a whole lot of nerve.
And while Ernest tried to play it down, even the host had to step in and tell him this was a big deal. He agreed that now it’s out in the open, he’s ready to own it. Good thing, because in a world of industry polish and media training, there’s something downright refreshing about a dude who just tells it like it is.
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Now, if you’re wondering what the penalty might be for sparking up inside the White House, let’s just say it ain’t exactly encouraged. Marijuana is still illegal under federal law, and the White House is very much federal property. So yeah, that vape hit came with some real risk.
Then again, Ernest never really came off as someone afraid of a little risk. This is the guy who not only writes chart-toppers like “Cowgirls” with Morgan Wallen but also pens hits for Jelly Roll, Thomas Rhett, and even the Posty himself.
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And if you think he regrets it? Not a chance. That vape hit just put him in the same conversation as Willie. Two country stars, two different generations, same rebel energy. Willie lit up the roof. Ernest took his hit inside the building. Either way, the White House has now been christened by two of country music’s most unlikely icons.
You can’t fake that kind of swagger. Ernest didn’t walk into the White House with a script or a clean-cut image. He walked in with a vape and a story he’ll be telling the rest of his life, assuming we don’t beat him to it.
So next time you hear someone talking about how country’s gone soft or too clean-cut, just remind them that somewhere in Nashville, a songwriter just reminded America what it really means to be outlaw.
