Kid Rock, 55, is facing even more criticism after a clip from his performance at Turning Point USA’s All-American Halftime Show circulated online, prompting a savage response from Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, 61.
On Wednesday, February 11, Morello reshared a video on X showing Kid Rock performing onstage for what appeared to be a small crowd. The event was organized by Turning Point USA as a rightwing alternative to the Super Bowl halftime show, which this year featured Bad Bunny. Kid Rock was among several headliners for the showcase.
Morello slammed Kid Rock alongside the repost. “America is finally great again,” he wrote. “Thank you.” The comment appeared to reference Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan and was clearly intended as sarcasm.
It remains unclear whether the footage was taken during the official taping of the event or during a rehearsal. The Turning Point USA program also featured performances from Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett. One day before Morello’s post, Kid Rock addressed separate speculation surrounding the event, confirming that the performance had been prerecorded rather than broadcast live.
He also denied accusations that he lip-synched during his set. “If I was ever going to lip-synch, which I wouldn’t, [‘Bawitdaba’] would be the last song I would ever … do it to,” Kid Rock said in a video shared to his social media accounts.
During the clip, he also responded directly to critics, at one point directing a gesture toward what he called “haters and the trolls.” He added, “The problem is people amplify this all over the internet … they do it far too often, especially in the fake news media, the left-wingers, crazy libt–ds.”
Morello did not stop at resharing the video. He also reposted several messages supporting Bad Bunny and criticizing Turning Point USA’s alternate halftime show.
One post highlighted comments made by country singer Zach Bryan, who criticized the event on Instagram. “I don’t care what side you’re on, a bunch of adults throwing temper tantrums and their own halftime show is embarrassing as hell and the most cringe s–t on the planet,” Bryan wrote.
Morello attended the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday, February 8. He shared on Instagram that he displayed an “ICE Out” banner during the game in protest of immigration enforcement operations in the United States.
Earlier this year, after ICE officers shot two civilians in Minneapolis, Morello traveled to the city and hosted a benefit concert in support of the local community.