Is America ready for a President Rock?
The “Devil Without a Cause” rock-rapper Kid Rock told Tucker Carlson that he might consider running for office someday.
“One day, if I ever thought, if I was bored, sitting around, really thought I could serve my county and help them out, stir things up a little bit and do what’s right, I’d have to take a hard look at it,” he said during an interview that debuted Tuesday.
Born Robert James Ritchie in Romeo, Michigan, the 51-year-old musician strongly supported former President Donald Trump in the 2016 and 2020 elections. Carlson — who has rocked out with his socks off on several occasions while hosting Rock — asked the musician if he would consider taking on Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, even though the filing deadline to run has passed.
Rock said he preferred his current occupation to a job in government.
The interview aired on Fox News’ streaming service, according to the outlet. The network frequently criticized show-business personalities who voice opinions on politics outside Fox News’ conservative agenda, but tends to be welcoming toward performers like Rock who share the media giant’s sensibilities.
Opinionist Laura Ingraham penned a book called “Shut Up and Sing,” which targeted musical acts including the Dixie Chicks and Barbra Streisand for expressing their opinions on politics.
During their chat, Carlson and Rock expressed a shared dislike for talk host Oprah Winfrey, to whom the latter famously made an obscene reference while on stage in 2019. Rock explained that he was caught up in the moment when he said Winfrey could fellate him “sideways” during that performance and offered no apology.
“A drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts,” Rock told Carlson. “I own what I said.”
Rock had hinted at a 2017 Senate run in Michigan, which he later confessed was a ploy to push an upcoming album.
Fox News Media itself generated controversy Monday when the network announced it would not televise Thursday’s congressional hearings on the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Fox News Channel, but would give the historic event live coverage on secondary platforms, including its Fox Nation streaming outlet.
Carlson has gone to great lengths to downplay the events of the day, including a farcical November docu-series that was heavily criticized for promoting baseless conspiracy theories and misleading information. His reporting is frequently criticized as dishonest and incendiary demagoguery.
Rock’s “Bad Reputation” tour heads to Florida for the weekend, where he’ll perform in West Palm Beach and Tampa.
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