Kid Rock, the face of “boycotting” Bud Light, is repping Budweiser swag.
In early 2023, the right wing was fixated on harassing Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender TikTok star who was mostly just documenting her life.
Targeting her was part of a broader transphobic campaign. This led to the Bud Light “scandal” after a very normal product tie-in with her.
Kid Rock became the face of that manufactured outrage campaign when he gunned down his own cases of Bud Light. Now, one year later, he’s sporting a Budweiser hat on Fox News.
Um, what?!
Why is Kid Rock wearing a Budweiser hat?
Kid Rock was a natural fit as a guest on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle on Thursday, April 4.
Ostensibly, the sometimes-musician was there to discuss disgraced former president Donald Trump. To his astonishment, he found himself advising Trump during the latter’s occupation of the White House.
But even Laura Ingraham had to ask when she noticed that he was wearing a Budweiser hat. In 2023, Kid Rock became the face of the boycott of Anheuser-Busch products because of the company’s numerous product endorsements came from a trans woman.
Rock appeared surprised by the question and even a bit confused. Some viewers speculated that the drink in his hand could have contributed to his confusion.
“Man, we got … we got … I didn’t know what hat I was wearing,” Rock eventually admitted. Then, his rambling took aim at other brands that he apparently feels are more hospitable to trans people’s existence.
“We got bigger targets,” Rock added. “I mean, when you look at what … Planet Fitness, like what are they doing? Ben & Jerry’s? I don’t want to put any targets on people’s back — Target.”
What does Kid Rock mean by that?
Kid Rock did not deign to specify is issues with the companies in question.
Ben & Jerry’s is a famously left-wing company, though it is of course a company and has had its share of controversies. Planet Fitness has banned transphobic creeps who film people in the locker rooms on the suspicion that the victim might be transgender.
In 2023, mounting violence and terrorist threats against Target prompted the company to cancel its annual LGBTQ+ Pride merchandise, so that at least lines up some.
“I talked to dudes from Bud Light or Anheuser-Busch, the CEO, the people like, man, they messed up,” Kid Rock protested on The Ingraham Angle.
“It’s too bad they just won’t say it, like, ‘Hey, we messed up a little bit,’ you know, whatever,” he lamented. Just for the record, by “messed up,” he means did a normal product placement for a social media influencer who’s part of a marginalized community. That’s it.
“But that’s now how they’re cut,” Rock went on. “And, um, you know, I got my answer.”
Apparently, Kid Rock regrets that the Bud Light hate campaign ruined people’s lives
“I don’t want, I don’t want to hurt people’s jobs and stuff like that,” Kid Rock insisted. Not “when they don’t have any dog in the fight.”
Memorably, the 2023 drop in drink sales during the hateful campaign resulted in hundreds of layoffs at Anheuser-Busch. Additionally, many other companies have hesitated to partner with or even hire trans employees for public-facing positions for fear of becoming the next target. It’s a grim situation.
Kid Rock acknowledged the situation, as he then added ominously: “But there’s a whole lot more companies we should be going after for sure.” What an awful, ridiculous person.