Kid Rock Blames Trump Ties for Lost Deals, Days After Saying He Wants to Be Less Polarising

Kid Rock says being friends with Donald Trump has cost him corporate deals as well as late-night TV bookings, and that he does not care. He made the claim in an interview with Fox News Digital, reported on 21 October, days after telling The Detroit News he wanted to be less polarising.

Those two interviews bracket the 17 October release of his first Christian album, Halfway 2 Jesus. He pays for it himself, on his own label. His last record was the weakest-charting studio album of his career, and the new one features his old friend Eminem, a vocal Trump critic.

What He Said About Being Less Polarising

The singer, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, spoke to The Detroit News on 12 October at his estate outside Nashville. Kid Rock said he had not fundamentally changed but was 'making a conscious effort to be a little less polarising.' According to the paper, he said he would not let people walk over him, but no longer needed to go around with his fists clenched.

Three days later, Billboard published a second interview in which the 55-year-old discussed his reputation. 'Lord knows, I've been one of the most polarising figures in the country,' he said. The rocker described the new album as a message about forgiveness and second chances, which he hoped would help heal division in the country. He said he felt halfway to Jesus but was unsure he would ever reach the end.

The Deals He Says Trump Cost Him

In the Fox News Digital interview, he said his relationship with Trump 'cancelled all the, uh, any corporate deals coming my way.' He added that invitations to things such as NFL events are now rare too. He has also fallen out publicly with a major brand before. In April 2023, he posted a video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light after the beer brand partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

The Michigan-born star said late-night hosts he once counted as friends, including Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon, no longer invite him on their shows. The rocker said he had expected such losses when he chose, years ago, to speak out on politics, and called the fallout no sweat off his back. He said freedom to say what he thinks matters more to him than radio play, corporate deals, or television bookings.

Who Is Paying for Halfway 2 Jesus

As an independent artist, Kid Rock pays for his own recordings. He told The Detroit News that his last album, Bad Reputation, cost about $200,000 (£150,000) to make, and that the new one would likely cost about the same. Both records came out on his own label, Top Dog Records.

Bad Reputation missed the Billboard 200 in its first week, then spent a single week on it at number 124, the worst result for any of his studio albums. His faith music has had one hit: his cover of Cody Johnson's 'Til You Can't topped Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart this year, after he debuted it at an alternative Super Bowl show.