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Kid Rock Promises “All-American Halftime Show” Will Be Politics-Free

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Photo Credit: "Kid Rock 9" by E Photos is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Kid Rock promised a politics-free Super Bowl performance while blasting “coastal elites” and vowing to serve fans he says the music industry ignores.

Kid Rock previewed his upcoming “All-American Halftime Show” in a video with conservative commentator Benny Thompson and pushed back on claims the event will turn into a political rally.

“One thing important that I would like to get out there and say to everyone is that, I think I speak for us all at Turning Point [USA], the other artists that are performing, when I say that in no way, shape or form — don’t let the left twist this around — like, in no way are we approaching this with any hate in our hearts,” he said in the video.

He framed the show as a celebration for fans who feel boxed out of mainstream entertainment.

“We’re simply going to go play some great songs, like I’ve said, for our base — people who love football, love America, love good music, love Jesus. It’s pretty much that simple,” Kid Rock continued.

The alternative halftime event will stream Sunday at 8 p.m. EST on Turning Point USA’s YouTube channel, X account and Rumble, offering viewers another option during the NFL’s Super Bowl LX broadcast.

Turning Point USA described the event as a tribute to “American faith, family, and freedom.”

The lineup includes Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett.

Kid Rock explained that he accepted the invitation because he believes a major segment of the country lacks representation in entertainment.

He argued that “a big portion, call it half this country, is underserved, entertainment-wise. And, you know, just being a good capitalist, I want to give the people what they want.”

He added that fans deserve a choice. During the Super Bowl, “if people don’t want to tune into what’s going on there, they want an option.”

The NFL’s official halftime show will feature Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny, a choice that sparked backlash among conservatives last fall.

Bad Bunny, born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, declared “ICE out” at the Grammy Awards before winning album of the year.

He has also said he would avoid concerts in the contiguous United States out of concern they could be targeted by immigration enforcement officers.

Polling data shows a partisan divide over his halftime performance. A survey published Friday found that 68 percent of Florida registered voters plan to watch the Super Bowl.

Among those viewers, 75 percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Republicans and 63 percent of independents said they will tune in to the game between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots.

The halftime split looks different. Eighty-nine percent of Democrats said they will watch Bad Bunny’s show.

Forty percent of Republicans said they plan to tune in. Seventy-seven percent of independents said they will watch.

Kid Rock said he hopes music can cross political lines despite the tension.

“It’s too bad that we can’t just look at music as something that brings us together, where it doesn’t matter what your politics are. It’s okay to be vocal. It’s very, very okay to not be vocal. You know, there’s something to be said for, you know, ‘Who’d you vote for?’ ‘None of your business,’” he said. “Like, I get it. That’s fine.”

The White House weighed in on the halftime battle. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that President Donald Trump prefers Kid Rock’s alternative show.

“I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny. I must say that,” Leavitt said during Thursday’s briefing.

Leavitt noted that Trump will not pick a winner in Sunday’s matchup. “The president has wisely chosen not to make a prediction on Sunday night’s game, but as a native girl from New Hampshire, go Patriots,” she added.

Trump confirmed he will skip the game at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco because the venue is “just too far away.”

He acknowledged that fans treat him well at games and noted that he “would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.”

Late-night host Seth Meyers mocked that reasoning. “Given Trump’s love of football and attention, you might have expected him to show up to the Super Bowl on Sunday, especially since he went to last year’s Super Bowl,” Meyers said during his monologue.

He questioned the distance excuse. “It’s too far away? You know you have your own plane, right? Like, we weren’t expecting you to pile into a station wagon with Eric, Don Jr., and Melania,” Meyers joked.

He also suggested Trump may fear a hostile reception. “I wonder if it’s because there’s another reason he might not want to attend a football game in the current political climate,” Meyers continued before airing footage of Trump being booed at a November game.

“Of course Trump is worried about getting booed,” Meyers said. “His approval ratings are at all-time lows, his party is getting shellacked everywhere.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the prospect of politics entering the halftime spotlight.

“Listen, Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world, and that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” Goodell said.

He added that the platform aims to unite audiences. “But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on, and this platform is used to unite people and to be able to bring people together with their creativity, with their talents and to be able to use this moment to do that.”

“And I think artists in the past have done that,” Goodell remarked. “I think Bad Bunny understands that, and I think he’ll have a great performance.”

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