Ahead of Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony as the 47th U.S. president of the United States on Monday, Kid Rock said the country is in the midst of a “rebirth.”
The five-time Grammy nominee, who was one of Trump’s most vocal supporters during last year’s presidential election, performed at the Make America Great Again Rally at Capital One Arena in Washington on Sunday, along with Billy Ray Cyrus, Lee Greenwood and The Village People.
Before hitting the stage, Rock spoke with Fox & Friends Weekend about how there has been a palpable shift in attitude towards the Republican Party.
“It feels like the rebirth of our nation,” the singer-songwriter told hosts Lawrence Jones, Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade. “Felt like that at the UFC fight after the election, everybody was together, you know, walking to the ring,” he said, noting Trump’s appearance alongside himself, Elon Musk, Robert Kennedy Jr. and Dana White at UFC 309 last November.
“There’s just this overwhelming sense … you’ve heard it a million times, that America’s back,” the All Summer Long hitmaker explained.
Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, also said that Trump’s legion of Hollywood critics — in addition to the A-list names who kept quiet about their support for the incoming president — might even come to embrace the businessman’s America-first policies.
“Now they feel it’s safe to go in the water after dipping their toe in it for four to eight years,” Rock said. “I mean, welcome to the party, like I’ve said. Better to have them on board than not.”
Elsewhere, the Bawitdaba singer told Fox & Friends that Trump phoned him after he made a joke about including pole dancers during his onstage set at Capital One Arena.
“Friday morning I got a call from the president and Melania and it was kind of mind-blowing, I’ve tried to leave him alone, he’s got a lot on his plate, I would think, right now,” Rock said. “He called and he goes, ‘Did the Secret Service really tell you that you can’t use strippers?‘”
When he told Trump he was just trying to make a joke, the president replied: “Ah, that’s funny.”
In a separate appearance on Fox’s Jesse Watters Primetime, Rock also took aim at former first lady Michelle Obama for skipping Trump’s swearing-in party.
“I would kindly remind her that years back when (Barack) Obama was first elected, I did not vote for him, but they asked me to play the inauguration, and I played it and I went,” Rock said, adding that he had a “good time.”
“So I would kindly remind Miss Michelle about that,” Rock said.
Rock went on to praise Trump’s return to the White House. “We need someone in here making sensible decisions,” he told Watters, adding. “I want somebody smart who can run this country, keep us safe, run it like a business, and make America great again.”
Monday’s inauguration features Carrie Underwood, who is singing America the Beautiful.
“I love our country and am honoured to have been asked to sing at the inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event,” the American Idol alum said in a statement.
Rapper Nelly is also set to perform Monday at the Liberty Ball. The three-time Grammy winner called his inclusion an “honour” as he fended off fans critical of his appearance.
“I’m not political. I’m not out here trying to tell anybody who they should vote for,” Nelly said during the livestreamed chat with fellow rapper Willie D. “This is not a campaign trail. This is not me telling you, ‘Yo, you should vote for this candidate.’ I think you should do your homework and figure out what best helps you and the people who you love and you provide for because I’m clueless on a lot of things when it gets down to it.”
He continued, “But what I will say is that, I respect the office. This isn’t politics. The politics, for me, is over. He won! He’s the president. He’s the commander in chief of what I would like to say is the best country in the world … It is an honour for me to perform for the president of the United States, regardless of who is in office.”
The Country Grammar singer then slammed his fans who think he should share the same political opinions as them. “I didn’t know that you was riding with me because you thought I would ride for who you voted for. I didn’t know that I had to agree with your political choices,” Nelly said. “If you follow what I do, this shouldn’t even be an argument.”