Kid Rock previously expressed his outrage at the company by shooting up beer with an AR-15
Singer-songwriter Kid Rock spoke out Wednesday on cancel culture and his earlier tiff with Anheuser-Busch after the company’s widely criticized marketing promotion featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Shortly after the Mulvaney incident sparked a nationwide boycott of Bud Light and other AB brands, Rock famously recorded himself obliterating the company’s beer with a semi-automatic rifle.
On “Hannity,” Rock said he remains unafraid of and untethered by corporate interests, remarking that dynamic allows him to speak freely for himself and support causes without fear of retribution.
Host Sean Hannity said Rock — whose real name is Robert Ritchie — has called himself “uncancelable.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, UFC president Dana White, and Kid Rock pose fora photo during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2023 in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
“I call it Adam Schiff — you don’t give a Schiff,” Hannity quipped.
“I’m just not in bed with any corporate entities,” Rock replied.
“You know, that would put me in a position where people could raise a stink, and I decided years ago — I’ve been very blessed. You know, I’ve worked hard and still be able to do this at a high level at 25 years. And I decided when I was going to get vocal about all things, like, it’s not a time I have never been vocal.”
He noted he included the “middle fingers” on his first CD cover, and says he speaks out most of the time for love-of-country and similar expressions.
“I’ve always tried to live that there’s no dollar amount on God’s green earth that would get me to not be able to be who I am.”
In that way, he recounted a recent trip to a UFC match at Madison Square Garden where he engaged with former President Donald Trump and UFC President Dana White.
White and Anheuser-Busch recently signed a multi-year partnership with White’s sporting organization.
Kid Rock said with respect to that and the preceding boycott, the rank-and-file workers for Anheuser-Busch and the drivers and distributors were essentially hurt by the actions of the leadership with respect to Mulvaney.
“They had no dog in this fight at all,” he said, before pivoting to his recounting of a reported impromptu run-in with Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth at the Garden.
“It’s actually funny. Speaking of that UFC fight, I’m standing there with our favorite president, and someone comes over, like, ‘The CEO of Anheuser-Busch is standing right behind you.’”
Rock claimed Trump asked if he wanted to talk to Whitworth and told “Hannity” that they all had a “great conversation” despite any differences.
“Because if you put this in context, why did this start? I told him that night, ‘You signaled to a lot of people like myself, like-minded people, put the trans thing aside for a minute, right? But by sending that can to [Mulvaney], you kind of signaled to us you support this lifestyle and more importantly, like, men being in women’s sports or in my granddaughter’s locker room,'” he recounted.
“Most of us draw a hard line right there. Nah.”
Rock said he took from the encounter with the beverage executive that anyone including Anheuser-Busch should be able to support any cause or make any marketing strategy they want, as long as it doesn’t border on affecting or including children.
He cited America’s veterans, saying many people “fought and died” for the right of every American to live whatever lifestyle they choose — and that his public opposition was not toward Mulvaney but toward Anheuser-Busch.
“We can coexist in public places. You might not be my first dinner invite, you know what I mean? And I’m probably not yours,” he quipped.
Rock said whatever anyone’s persuasion is, “I’m cool with you, that’s how most people are.”
“But as soon as you bring our kids into this, that’s where we’re going to bring hatred into it. Leave our frickin’ kids out of it.”
