Kid Rock's Wildest Controversies Since Jumping On The Trump Bandwagon

Kid Rock has never been one to shy away from controversy. Despite being born Robert James Ritchie in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the rap-rock-country artist is known best for his Confederate-flag-waving, American South-inspired persona. In recent years, his transformation into a politically outspoken figure has drawn as much attention as his music (if not more).

Since publicly endorsing Donald Trump in 2016, Kid Rock has gone on to make headlines for a series of increasingly inflammatory actions and statements — effectively cementing his reputation as one of the most polarizing figures in entertainment today. From offensive merchandise and a faux political campaign to drunken rants and outright slurs, his post-Trump era has been a nonstop spectacle.

In many ways, his transformation mirrors that of the broader conservative movement that has embraced outrage as both a marketing tool and a political weapon. Whether his antics stem from genuine conviction or calculated pandering remains up for debate, but one thing is certain: As long as controversy sells, Kid Rock will keep the hits coming (even if said hits have nothing to do with music). His most outrageous Trump-era controversies are proof of this.

Kid Rock wasted no time aligning himself with Donald Trump after his 2016 victory, launching a line of pro-Trump merchandise in December of that year. The merch left no room for ambiguity, taking shots at blue states and anti-Trump Republicans in one fell swoop. Among the most controversial was a tee shirt that depicted blue states as "Dumbf***istan," while red states were labeled as "The United States of America." Other shirts bore slogans like "God, Guns & Trump" and the eyebrow-raising "_onald Trump: The 'D' Is Missing Because It's In Every Hater's Mouth."

While he wasn't the first — or the only — celebrity to give a politically charged endorsement during Trump's first presidency, few took it to Kid Rock's level of crude and antagonistic branding. (Maybe that explains why the president allegedly came to him for advice?) The merchandise was both inflammatory and divisive. The perfect combination to strengthen his standing among his like-minded, Trump-supporting fanbase –– most of which have to share Kid Rock's unfiltered, anti-establishment approach if they're at one of his concerts in the first place. 

In July 2017, Kid Rock did something that stirred the pot even more than the concert tees did: The man dove head-first into the political pool by teasing a possible run for a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan. The news set off a media frenzy, similar to the way Donald Trump's presidential run spurred support for an outsider victory. But, by November of that year, Kid Rock had already changed his tune and claimed that the campaign was nothing more than a promotional stunt for his upcoming album, "Sweet Southern Sugar."

"It might be one of the dumber things I've ever done, but it was a f***in' riot," Kid Rock told Billboard. He later told Howard Stern that he never seriously intended to run, contradicting his original stance, so there's no way to know for certain what the truth is here. Was he really toying with the idea but backed off when he realized he'd get little support outside of his small but vocal fandom –– or was it actually an extensive joke? The Federal Election Commission ruled in favor of the latter, dismissing any concerns of campaign finance violations by calling the stunt a commercial endeavor rather than a legitimate bid for office. Marketing gimmick or not, it underscored Kid Rock's growing role as a right-wing provocateur willing to go to extreme measures to cling to relevancy.

By 2018, Kid Rock's political rhetoric had become a staple of his public persona. Crude and unfiltered outbursts had always been a part of who he was, but with Donald Trump's first administration in full swing, they had almost entirely shifted right (and alt-right, at that). One such incident occurred in November of that year: He was booted from the Nashville Christmas Parade after making vulgar remarks about "The View" co-host Joy Behar during a live appearance on "Fox & Friends." "I would say, love everybody...except screw that Joy Behar b****," he declared (via Billboard). He later doubled down, apologizing for his language but standing by his disdain for vocal Trump critic Joy Behar.

His most infamous tirade came a year later, in 2019, when he was removed from the stage of his own Honky Tonk bar in Nashville after an alcohol-fueled rant against Oprah Winfrey. Slurring his words, he told the crowd that Oprah could "suck a d*** sideways" and even mentioned that many would find his remarks racist. Rather than walk back his comments after sobering up, he again doubled down, telling off his critic with the same vulgar language.

Kid Rock's use of offensive language reached a new low in June 2021 when he was caught on camera using a homophobic slur during a performance at FishLipz Bar & Grill in Tennessee. Annoyed by audience members filming him with their phones, he lashed out, yelling, "You f***ing [anti-gay slur]s with your iPhones out!" As in years past, rather than apologize, he responded with another inflammatory post on social media: "If Kid Rock using [anti-gay slur]s offends you, good chance you are one."

This was far from the first time Kid Rock had faced criticism for bigoted remarks. In 2017, during his annual Fish Fry event, he went on a rant about LGBTQ+ rights, with more inflammatory language (via Billboard). He also ridiculed transgender people with the same old, tired conservative talking point about bathrooms. Later, in 2024, Kid Rock unleashed a string of racial slurs in a drunken interview on the record with Rolling Stone. To be so cavalier about the use of such harmful slurs marks yet another troubling turn for the worse in the ongoing saga of Kid Rock's Donald Trump era.

Perhaps the most widely publicized controversy of Kid Rock's recent years came in 2023, when he responded to Bud Light's social media partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney by posting a video of himself shooting cases of the beer with an MP5 submachine gun. Declaring "F*** Bud Light. F*** Anheuser-Busch" (via Rolling Stone), Kid Rock fueled a right-wing boycott against the company that led to declining sales and stock price fluctuations.

While many conservatives cheered his actions, it didn't take long for him and his right-wing cohorts to reverse course. Less than a year later, Kid Rock was once again drinking Bud Light and wearing branded merchandise. When asked about the apparent contradiction, Kid Rock brushed it off, claiming he hadn't realized he was wearing it. In his controversial Rolling Stone profile from 2024, he claimed Anheuser-Busch reached out to him in an attempt to smooth things over. Looks like the company's attempt was successful, as the Bud Light debacle has completely blown over by now. Alas, as long as Donald Trump is making headlines, it's safe to assume Kid Rock won't be far behind. (Isn't this insipid culture war stuff so exhausting?)