"Tennessee common sense!" — Netizens react to Kid Rock's opinion about Democrats on Bill Maher Show

Kid Rock's appearance on Bill Maher's show is drawing attention due to the comments that the musician made regarding Democrats.

The American rapper appeared on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher on February 14, 2025. His opinion highlighted an inclusive perspective on diversity within his band. As per a report in Newsweek, he stated that half of his band members are:

"liberal, gay, or Black."

Maher asked Kid Rock about his thoughts on Democrats, and the musician replied:

"I mean, my whole business is Democrats. I mean, so to speak. Not my whole business. I live in Nashville now, but that's the world I've operated in for years and years. Half my band's liberal, gay, or Black... we have one of the most diverse bands out there."

Emphasizing that their selection is based on talent and not on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, he added that it is:

"Not because of any of this DEI s***,” but “because they're the best at what they do, and we all love each other and get along."

He further acknowledged performing for Donald Trump’s and Barack Obama’s inaugurations, despite not voting for Obama. He said:

"Everybody's just got to calm the f*** down a little bit, you know what I mean?"

Many fans took to social media to appreciate Kid Rock for his opinion. “Thank you. Tennessee common sense!” a fan wrote on X.

Let us have a look at a few other reactions.

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Netizens react to Kid Rock’s surprising opinion on Democrats

When Kid Rock expressed his opinion on Democrats, he received mixed reactions from the fans and followers. A majority praised him, though there were others who didn't seem satisfied with his reply.

“I mean if the president of the United States wants you to play a show for him, why would you not do it? Kid Rock can get the best of the best to play in his band, some of them are likely to be all kinds of minorities, but they’re the best and didn’t need to hit a quota," a user wrote on X.

“Kid Rock is proof that you can work with all kinds of people and still reject woke nonsense. The media pushes division, but in the real world, people just want to do their job, respect each other, and move on,” another said.

“When Kid Rock is the voice of reason something is either terribly wrong or terribly right. USA! USA! USA!” one user added.

"You have to admit that 'turning DEI into an IED' is a great line." a fan commented.

However, a few people didn’t agree with the rapper's opinion about Democrats and questioned if it was worth considering.

“Remind me, why do we care what Kid Rock thinks about anything?” a user said.

“They spent the last 8 years calling him a liar and a con man, yet they take him dead serious when he’s joking,” one user commented.

“Another woke maga,” a user said.

"So kid rock thinks hip hop is only for people of color?" one person wrote.

On Bill Maher’s show, Kid Rock spoke about Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance, too. He acknowledged it wasn't his personal preference, but expressed respect for Lamar's unapologetic approach:

"To put it nicely, it wasn't my cup of tea, but I gotta respect it."

He added, as per Entertainment Weekly:

"Here's why: You know, I grew up loving, emulating hip-hop. All things hip-hop. Breakdancing, DJing, graffiti, rapping. And so I understand the culture a little bit more than most… And when I say 'most,' I mean white people."

A report in The Hollywood Reporter has indicated that Kid Rock praised Lamar’s performance. He described the performance as "the epitome of DEI blowing up". He shared that Lamar and Jay-Z should thank Colin Kaepernick for creating the social climate that led to the performance.