California Governor Gavin Newsom has once again taken aim at Kid Rock in his ongoing series of Trump-style parody posts, declaring the “American Bad Ass” rocker banned from performing in California for making what Newsom called “horrific music.”
The social media spat escalated after the NFL confirmed that Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on 8 February 2026. Some conservative commentators had lobbied for Kid Rock and country singer Jason Aldean as more “patriotic” choices, but the NFL opted for the world’s most streamed artist of 2020 and 2021, whose appeal stretches far beyond the United States.
Newsom, who has been mocking Trump’s online posting style for months, used his official X (formerly Twitter) account to “announce” Kid Rock’s indefinite suspension from performing in California. “BECAUSE OF HIS HORRIFIC MUSIC, CALIFORNIA WILL INDEFINITELY SUSPEND KID ROCK FROM PERFORMING IN THE GOLDEN STATE. YOU’RE WELCOME! – GCN.”
Kid Rock (real name Robert James Ritchie) has long aligned himself with Trump and the MAGA movement. In 2017, he flirted with the idea of running for Senate in Michigan, though the campaign turned out to be more publicity stunt than political reality. Musically, his career has spanned rap-rock beginnings in the late 1990s with hits like Bawitdaba and Cowboy, through country rock crossovers such as Picture with Sheryl Crow in 2002, to his patriotic anthem Born Free in 2010.
But while he still headlines arenas and festivals, Kid Rock has become a lightning rod for political division. His outspoken stances on gun rights, COVID-19 measures, and LGBTQ+ issues have kept him a favourite in conservative circles while simultaneously alienating much of the mainstream music industry.
Newsom, by contrast, has embraced parody politics online. Over the past year, his press office has filled X with all-caps proclamations, faux campaign posters, and AI-generated images designed to lampoon Trump’s Truth Social posting style. Recent messages have promised free eggs, hair gel subsidies “only for handsome Democrats,” and an end to Ticketmaster fees “for the Swifties – fees stay for Kid Rock.”
When Nick Adams, a Trump-aligned commentator, suggested Kid Rock and Jason Aldean would have been a “unifying” Super Bowl choice, Newsom shot back, “Wrong. Kid Rock has been INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED from performing in California and as such he cannot perform at Super Bowl LX!!!”
Unsurprisingly, Kid Rock didn’t take the trolling quietly. Responding to Newsom’s parody poster reading “Kid Rock Wants YOU to Support Gavin Newsom,” the musician wrote, “The only support Gavin Newscum will ever get out of me is from DEEZ NUTZ.”
The back-and-forth adds another layer to the culture wars that have increasingly surrounded American entertainment. While Taylor Swift had been rumoured for the halftime slot, and Metallica, Bay Area locals, were floated as fan favourites, the NFL’s choice of Bad Bunny continues its trend of choosing globally dominant stars. Recent years have seen Rihanna, The Weeknd, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, and Dr. Dre take centre stage.
Bad Bunny, whose music blends reggaeton, Latin trap, and pop, is not just a musical powerhouse but also an activist, frequently speaking out against political corruption in Puerto Rico and U.S. immigration policies. For Newsom, the decision was easy to frame as another win against Trump-aligned performers like Kid Rock.
This latest sparring match is unlikely to affect either man’s career. Kid Rock still sells out shows across Middle America, while Newsom’s parody tweets keep him in the headlines as speculation grows about his national ambitions. But it highlights the increasingly blurred lines between entertainment, politics, and culture wars in the United States.
As the 2026 Super Bowl edges closer, expect more noise from both sides but only Bad Bunny will have the world’s biggest stage come February.
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