12 Things To Be Thankful For This Post-Election Thanksgiving
We certainly have an abundance of blessings to count following America’s latest political war, a cornucopia in the parlance of Thanksgiving.We certainly have an abundance of blessings to count following America’s latest political war, a cornucopia in the parlance of Thanksgiving.Blaze News original: 5 more popular musicians who are unapologetically conservative
As in Hollywood, the loudest voices in the music biz seem to come from the left.
Whether they're mindlessly progressive (Taylor Swift) or downright depraved (Diddy and his various "collaborators"), there are enough of them to drown out any right-leaning artists.
Unless, of course, you listen a little more carefully.
The musical mavericks below march to the beat of their own drum, harmonizing their traditional values with compelling storytelling and undeniable pop appeal.
They write songs that dare to promote such unfashionable virtues as patriotism, faith, and duty. They exhibit a very un-rock-star-like humility in celebrating our nation's blue-collar workers, law enforcement, and military.
The artists in our list below offer plenty of musical variety. But they have one thing in common: the courage and conviction to speak their minds and stand up for the country they — and millions of their fans — love.
Kid Rock
Kid Rock is no stranger to sparking controversies for unabashedly broadcasting his political views.
Born Robert James Ritchie, the Detroit native showed his support for last year's Bud Light boycott by blowing away cases of the popular brew after the brand partnered with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
In 2022, Ritchie declared that he would not be playing at any venues that had COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
As Blaze News previously reported, Kid Rock released a song titled "We the People," which skewered coronavirus mandates, President Joe Biden, Big Tech, and the mainstream media.
Among Ritchie's numerous songs celebrating all-American self-reliance and small-town values are "Born Free," "American Bad Ass," "Po-Dunk," "Warriors," "God Bless Saturday," "American Rock and Roll," "Amen," and "Don't Tell Me How to Live."
An outspoken supporter of the military, Ritchie has done extensive touring with the USO to entertain American troops.
He's also publicly endorsed several Republicans, including Sen. Mitt Romney, former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, Senate candidate John James, and former President Donald Trump,
Ritchie visited Trump at the White House in 2017 alongside fellow conservative musician Ted Nugent and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
"We ended up becoming buddies," Ritchie told Tucker Carlson in 2022. "Spend a lot of time [together] at the golf course now. It's really weird to get phone calls from him and stuff. It's kind of mind-blowing."
When asked about hanging out with Trump, Ritchie responded, "Awesome. So much fun. He just knows how to have fun. Doesn't take it too seriously. He's engaging. He sits down, he just cuts it up. Just starts cutting it up. It's just how sharp he is. It's incredible," said Ritchie, whose new album, "Bad Reputation," dropped Monday.
Ritchie recently performed at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
The Republican rocker has a history of blasting liberals, including Oprah Winfrey and Joy Behar.
Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean is an extremely successful country music star. Of Aldean's 38 singles, 27 have reached #1 on either Billboard's Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay charts. Many of his songs highlight conservative principles, small-town values, the virtues of rural America, independence, self-reliance, and the importance of cultural heritage.
However, Aldean ignited a firestorm among liberals when he released his anti-riot anthem titled "Try That in a Small Town."
As Blaze News previously reported, a group of communists protested outside Aldean's concert by setting numerous American flags on fire while chanting anti-American phrases.
"Try That in a Small Town" skyrocketed to the top of the iTunes charts — surpassing Taylor Swift.
The music video for the anti-woke song was pulled from the country music channel CMT. The country music star responded to the backlash by declaring that cancel culture is "bulls**t."
Aldean spent New Year's Eve 2022 with former President Donald Trump at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
Aldean wrote on Instagram, "Well, this New Year's was the best of all time. I got to spend a couple days with the G.O.A.T…… this man is unbelievable and I wish you all could see what he does behind the scenes. #classact."
As Blaze News reported in 2021, Aldean made headlines when one of his toddlers wore a shirt mocking President Joe Biden. The country music singer responded to the backlash by proclaiming: "I will never apologize for my beliefs or my love for my family and country."
Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent has been a lightning-rod rocker for decades because of his unwavering opinions.
Nugent has been an ardent Second Amendment activist for decades. The rocker had been a board member of the National Rifle Association for 26 years until he resigned in 2021.
Nugent said of gun control in 2022, "And to those who think that we need more gun control, who could possibly be so heartless and stupid to think that someone committed to murdering innocent lives would give a rat's ass about another gun restriction, President Biden? How heartless. How soulless. How cruel. How dishonest."
Nugent added that gun-free zones are "the dream of evil people."
As Blaze News reported in 2017, the Motor City Madman ripped David Crosby after the longtime liberal rock 'n roller attacked Nugent for visiting Trump at the White House.
The "Cat Scratch Fever" singer has publicly endorsed many Republicans, including Donald Trump, Mitt Romney, Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, Rick Perry, Sarah Palin, and John McCain.
On the eve of the 2016 presidential election, Nugent entertained Republican supporters at a campaign rally for Trump.
Nugent has performed numerous times for U.S. military members at home and abroad, including in Iraq in 2014 with Toby Keith.
Nugent is an avid hunter and promotes responsible wildlife management.
Joe Perry
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has quietly but staunchly supported Republicans for some time now. Perry values gun rights, personal responsibility, limited government, and patriotism.
In 2012, Perry described himself as a "definite old-school Republican.”
“I was taught that you get what you put into it," Perry explained. "You can be anything you want to be if you work hard enough at it, and you can earn your place.”
Perry declared, “I’ve been a hard-core Republican my whole life. My mother and father drilled into me from the very start that if you work hard and be positive, you’ll get what you’re working for. I guess I’m living proof of that.”
Perry endorsed John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.
”I felt better about politics in general after meeting [McCain],” Perry told The Hill. “He’s a war hero, and they’re the most genuine heroes. Anyone who does what [soldiers in combat] do, they’re amazing heroes."
The "Dream On" rocker continued, “He has a great vibe, and he was really frank about the election and why he lost. And he still sticks to his guns, with no BS.”
Perry even contemplated running for political office, and his platform would be "taking on big business."
“Sure, if I ever find myself in that position, I could see changing things up a little," he said. "I’ve been playing rock and roll for a long time now, and if California can have actors for politicians, then maybe the rest of the country can have musicians.”
Perry is a committed advocate for the Second Amendment and gun rights.
The lead guitarist for one of America's most iconic rock bands has a tattoo of a gun with the saying "Molon labe" — an ancient Greek phrase that translates to "Come and take [them]." The saying is used to express a strong stance against gun control and the confiscation of firearms by the government.
Toby Keith
Toby Keith was a massive country music star who always took time to honor American military members.
Keith — who passed away in February 2024 at age 62 from stomach cancer — performed during 11 USO tours and visited U.S. troops overseas.
In 2006, Keith founded the Toby Keith Foundation to provide support for children with cancer.
In 2014, the Toby Keith Foundation launched the OK Kids Korral — "a cost-free, convenient and comfortable home for pediatric cancer patients receiving treatment at the Children’s Hospital at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, and other nearby facilities."
The country music star has several songs that cherish conservative principles, patriotic themes, appreciation of those who serve in the military, devotion to faith, love of family, and small-town values. The songs include: "Courtesy Of The Red, White And Blue (The Angry American)," "Made in America," "Beer for My Horses" (featuring Willie Nelson), "American Ride," "God Love Her," "If I Was Jesus," and "American Soldier."
Keith performed at former President Donald Trump's inauguration.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Why Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan were perfect for Trump's RNC
On the final night of the Republican National Convention last week, aging pro wrestler Hulk Hogan took to the podium and performed his signature move of ripping off his tank top.
As he revealed the Trump/Vance tank top beneath, he exhorted the crowd, "Let Trumpamania run wild, brother!"
Millennials are the last generation to remember the glories of pre-digital life, the paradoxical freedom of having fewer choices. It's no wonder they feel nostalgic for the emo bands they used to love.
As with anything in Trump's orbit, liberals and conservatives saw this moment very differently.
For "The Daily Show," the appearance of the "washed-up fake wrestler" at the RNC was yet another indication of the irredeemable tackiness of Trump world and its inability to land anyone with the slightest cultural cachet. "I think Trump just locked up the vote of every teenager in 1992," quipped host Jordan Klepper.
Conservatives, of course, were in on the joke. The goofy, tongue-in-cheek nostalgia of having the Hulkster prepare the way for Trump's big, post-assassination-attempt comeback was the point. In the meme-sphere, Hogan killed it.
Klepper also mocked the performance by Kid Rock, who performed a Trumpified version of his almost 25-year-old hit "American Badass," complete with a chant echoing Trump's call to "fight!" as the Secret Service hustled him off the Butler, Pennsylvania, rally stage.
Again, Klepper's jabs didn't really land. Rock certainly wasn't selected with the approval of an outlet like "The Daily Show" in mind.
Still it's worth asking: why all the oldies acts?
Consider that both WWE and rap-rock peaked at the end of the 20th century, which was also more or less the the peak of the pre-internet, American monoculture. While neither Rock nor Hogan commands the attention he did in his prime, in today's fractured entertainment landscape, hardly anyone does.
The wrestler and the redneck are living embodiments of a different, more unifying sort of pop culture, before everything got so politicized. Trump himself used to enjoy this kind of apolitical fame. Most notably with his reality show but also with his many movie and TV cameos before that.
Like Trump, both Hogan and Rock exude a kind of cheerful vulgarity, one far removed from today's ideologically driven displays of "LGBT awareness" and the like.
Hogan is an especially potent symbol in this regard. He engaged in vice (making a sex tape with his friend and her wife) the old-fashioned way — in private. It was the left-leaning website Gawker that took it public, no doubt emboldened by Hogan's low status among media tastemakers. But then billionaire Peter Thiel took up Hogan's case and used it to put the sneering hipsters out of business.
Democrats might laugh at RNC geriatrics rallying around such celebrity dinosaurs, but what would it look like for the GOP to court younger generations, especially at a legacy-media-type event like the party convention? Gen Z has no mass culture; it's broken up into specialized "scenes" that are all online.
Millennials are the last generation to remember the glories of pre-digital life, the paradoxical freedom of having fewer choices. It's no wonder they feel nostalgic for the emo bands they used to love.
"I'm not supposed to be here tonight," said Trump as he took the stage to accept the nomination. It was a nice bit of serendipity that his opening acts also weren't supposed to be there, in a sense. But like Trump, and the many Trump supporters the culture has done its best to leave behind, they're survivors — relics of a time when shared cultural and commercial incentives brought Americans together.
Donald Trump Enters Fall Election With The Big Tent Republicans Failed To Build For Decades
Trump has made inroads with minority voters without alienating the party's white base because the former president's activism is genuine.
'That's where I'm drawing the f**king line': Kid Rock reveals what changed his opinion on Bud Light
Musician Kid Rock revealed what made him get over his "grudge" against Bud Light after he "became the face" of backlash the beer brand suffered after a failed marketing campaign.
The rock artist famously shot at cases of Bud Light in a viral video in which he declared, "F**k Bud Light and f**k Anheuser-Busch," before adding, "Have a nice day!"
In addition to admitting that there was way more Bud Light on his property than he imagined, the singer, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, told comedian Joe Rogan what changed his mind about the beer brand.
On Episode #2106 of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Ritchie recalled being at a UFC event with Donald Trump when he pointed out the "CEO of Bud Light or Anheuser-Busch" to the former president.
"Trump's like, 'You want to go talk to him?' which in my mind Trump said 'you want to go f*** with him?' and I'm like yes absolutely."
It is unclear whether he was referring to CEO of Anheuser-Busch InBev Michel Doukeris or Brendan Whitworth, CEO of the Anheuser-Busch subsidiary.
"We go over there, we're talking to him, actually a great conversation, and at some point he was telling me how he got the video and he was actually down at Texas doing some hunting," the rocker continued. He then told the beverage CEO that he "seem[s] like somebody I'd be friends with, that I'd hang out with."
Bud Light Boycott Over? Kid Rock Says Yes on Joe Rogan Podcast.— (@)
Ritchie revealed that he then invited the CEO to his home in Nashville, where the two became friends.
"He came with his top team, we broke bread, got f**ked up on Bud Light ... like did all this fun s***."
The multi-diamond-selling artist said that he and the executives also discussed whether there were any collaborations he could make with the brand but decided he "didn't feel comfortable with it," despite presenting "some ideas that scare the living s*** out of them."
In the end Kid Rock decided he "didn't feel right" taking their money.
The Michigan native explained that after his meetings with the beer executives, he realized that Anheuser-Busch is a very charitable company that employs many Americans. He also noted that he didn't want to be the reason any truck drivers lost their jobs.
"I did a little digging and talked to people, and I'm like, at the end of the day, all right, they got the message. I'm not someone who holds a f**king grudge his whole life."
"When they cross that line and signal to people like myself and many others that they were okay with this transgender thing and more so, is this going to get directed at my kids? So you think men should be in women's sports? No, that's where I'm drawing the f**king line. Get the f**k out of here."
On Joe Rogan, Kid Rock explains why he\u2019s dropped his grudge against Bud Light. \n\nHowever, the motivations to hire Dylan Mulvaney aren\u2019t discussed \u2014 ESG scores. \n\nForgiveness is fine, but shouldn\u2019t the CEO explain why corrupt ESG pressures created the chaos in the first place?— (@)
The pair also discussed new partnerships Bud Light has made with the UFC and comedian Shane Gillis, a longtime fan of Bud Light who did not join the metaphorical picket line against the company.
Rogan and Ritchie both cracked Bud Lights on camera during the podcast, at which the rock star recalled that the company sent 100 cases to his house for his birthday.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Kid Rock confronts Anheuser-Busch CEO, explains why he's against Bud Light boycott, has message for transgender community
Kid Rock said he recently confronted the Anheuser-Busch CEO over the Bud Light boycott. The rap-rock pioneer said he opposes a boycott against the now-controversial beer brand and emphasized that he has no hate for transgender individuals.
Bud Light faced controversy after the beer brand partnered with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney in April.
Kid Rock — whose real name is Robert James Ritchie — was one of the first celebrities to protest the beer brand teaming up with the "Days of Girlhood" social media influencer.
In April, Rock posted a video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light on the X social media platform – which went viral and racked up more than 53 million views.
Rock ranted in the video, "F*** Bud Light and f*** Anheuser-Busch!"
Last Saturday, Rock attended UFC 295 in New York City along with former President Donald Trump, UFC CEO Dana White, and Tucker Carlson. During the MMA event at Madison Square Garden, Rock claimed that he confronted the CEO of Anheuser-Busch.
“I’m standing there with our favorite president,” Rock told Sean Hannity on Wednesday. "And someone comes over, like, ‘The CEO of Anheuser-Busch is standing right behind you.’ So I go over to POTUS. I’m like, ‘Hey, that’s the CEO of Anheuser-Busch.’ Trump’s like, ‘You wanna go talk to him?’ I’m like, … ‘I do.'"
The pair reportedly engaged the AB InBev CEO.
The Detroit rocker told the Fox News host, "We actually had a great conversation. Because if you put this in context, why did this start? It’s like … 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 the trans kid, you kind of signaled to us you support this lifestyle.'”
He added, "And more importantly, like men being in women’s sports; they’re in my granddaughter's locker room. Most of us draw a hard line right there."
Rock clarified that he never called for a Bud Light boycott because of the negative effects it could have on "working-class people."
"I know people that work there, and it's not so cool to be wearing around that blue shirt anymore, going places," Rock said. "This is why they have a problem right now. It's like, I can let the thing go."
"As a God-fearing man, as a Christian, I have to believe in forgiveness," the rock star declared. "They made a mistake, all right. What do you want, hold their head under water and drown them and kill people's jobs? I don't want to do that."
"But I hope — at the same time, I don't want to be their biggest cheerleader," he added. "I want them to show me something to get me back as a consumer, as a drinker."
He also had a message for the LGBTQ community.
“You know, if someone wants to be trans, you know, I didn’t rip that kid,” he said of Dylan Mulvaney. “I said, ‘F you guys.’ I didn’t even say boycott or cancel. I said, ‘F you.’ I said, ‘What are you doing? Injecting yourself into this conversation, these polarizing social issues.’ I was like, ‘You know, you could be doing so much more positive stuff, just making us laugh and drink beer.'”
“If someone wants to dress up like a girl, they want to be transgender or whatever, a lot of people fought and died for them to do that," Rock explained. "Go for it. We can coexist, you know, in public places. You might not be my first dinner invite, you know what I mean? And I’m probably not yours."
“Be yourself. If you’re cool with me, I’m cool with you. That’s how most people are," Rock said before adding, "But as soon a you bring our kids into this, that’s when you’re gonna bring hatred into it. Leave our freaking kids out of it.”
— (@)Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Kid Rock reportedly spotted drinking Bud Light mere months after blasting the beer brand
Rocker Kid Rock — who made headlines earlier this year for opening fire on cases of Bud Light when the beer brand became embroiled in controversy for tapping transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote the beverage — has reportedly been recently spotted drinking a Bud Light.
TMZ reported that Rock consumed the controversial brand of beer in Nashville on Thursday night. In images posted by the outlet, Rock appears to have a can of Bud Light in hand.
— (@)
Earlier this year in April, Rock had shared the video of himself shooting at cases of Bud Light. "F*** Bud Light," Rock declared after blasting the cases. He also added, "F*** Anheuser-Busch." In the video he was wearing a cap with the acronym MAGA on it.
TheBlaze has messaged Rock's Instagram and Facebook accounts to offer the musician the opportunity to provide a comment, but so far there has been no response to the messages.
— (@)
The beer giant has faced significant backlash since having Mulvaney, a man who identifies as a woman, take to social media to promote Bud Light. The barrage of negative public sentiment has been evident as people blast the brand on social media and sales have slumped.
Even amid the groundswell of negative public sentiment, the company continued promoting the LGBT movement.
"Bud Light and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the exclusive certifying body for LGBT-owned businesses, announce they are extending their partnership to continue supporting economic opportunities and advancements for LGBTQ+ Americans and business owners across the country," a press release announced in May.
Mulvaney has also absurdly promoted a bra and leggings for Nike.
"Home for a moment and leaning into cozy workout wear life with @nikewomen ‘s newest Zenvy leggings and Alate bra!" Mulvaney wrote in an April Instagram post. "They're so comfortable and buttery soft, perfect for workouts and everyday wear!"
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Today's top stories
www.theblaze.com
freebeacon.com