Jack White has hit back at US Republican Congressman Tim Burchett after the Tennessee rep shared and mocked an AI-generated video falsely attributed to the musician.

The online spat kicked off earlier this week when Burchett retweeted a five-second clip that appeared to show White saying, “Don’t even think about listening to my music, you fascist.” The video was originally posted by the account @MAGAresponse alongside the prompt, “What’s your response to Jack White?”

Burchett’s response didn’t stop at sharing the clip, adding his own jab: “That cute little girl from the Addams Family got really ugly and angry.”

On Tuesday, White responded via Instagram with a 384-word statement, clarifying that the video was fake and condemning the congressman’s behaviour.

“The great state of Tennessee deserves better, Mr. Burchett, but you and your cult are too dug in and blinded to even realize it,” White wrote.

He went on to criticise Burchett for reposting the clip without verifying its authenticity, calling out both the use of AI misinformation and the personal insult attached to it.

“Can you believe that a U.S. congressman, that’s right, a CONGRESSMAN (from my state no less), a once hallowed and respected position in our society, would repost an A.I. generated video, containing a false comment that I never said and refuted (without researching that I might add) and like a 10-year-old on a playground, add to it attempted insults to my physical appearance?” White wrote.

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“What kind of joke are we all living in now? All of Trump’s lackeys and bootlicks like this elected official are cowards that would never talk this way to anybody like me or you in person. Trump really lowered the bar when he brought his scourge to this government.”

White also criticised what he described as “sycophantic” politicians who “regurgitate … fake Christian(!) rhetoric,” adding that he wished “the average American conservative” could speak with people from other countries to understand “what a joke our government (and by proxy our country) has become.”

In closing, White suggested that figures like Burchett would ultimately distance themselves from the MAGA movement.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: There will come a time in the future when none of these right wingers will admit to being a part of this cult from this time period,” he wrote. “All the MAGA hats will be in landfills and actual intelligent and honorable leadership will take their place. … I’m wondering if half of these so called representatives have ever actually read the Constitution that they pledged an oath to.”

Although White has not explicitly told conservative supporters to stop listening to his music, he has been openly critical of US President Donald Trump, calling him “a disgusting, vile, egomaniac loser, child,” for his response to Rob Reiner’s death, and describing Trump’s insults as a “badge of honour.”

In an op-ed published in August, Rolling Stone praised White’s outspoken stance. “He’s speaking truth to power and getting under the president’s skin, and his punches are landing,” senior writer Angie Martoccio wrote. “We should listen to him now, more than ever.”