California Governor Gavin Newsom has once again used the musician Kid Rock as a comedic foil in his ongoing political feud with President Donald Trump, taking a new shot at the rock star on social media. The latest jab comes amidst conservative backlash over the announcement that Latin music superstar Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show.
The controversy began after some conservative commentators and social media users suggested that the Trump-supporting Kid Rock would have been a more suitable choice for the high-profile performance. In response to one such post from a prominent Trump ally, Newsom used his satirical “Governor Newsom Press Office” X account to renew his social media beef with the musician.
In response to Nick Adams, who wrote following: “Kid Rock and Jason Aldean would have made a great Super Bowl Halftime show. Bad Bunny will just further divide the American people. A missed opportunity from the NFL to bring people together and tone down the rhetoric,” Governor Gavin Newsom wrote: “Wrong. Kid Rock has been INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED from performing in California and as such he cannot perform at Super Bowl LX!!!”
Wrong. Kid Rock has been INDEFINITELY SUSPENDED from performing in California and as such he cannot perform at Super Bowl LX!!!
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 30, 2025
This new exchange is a direct follow-up to a more elaborate satirical post Newsom made on September 19. In that post, which parodied President Trump‘s social media style and was a commentary on the recent, real-life suspension of Jimmy Kimmel‘s talk show, Newsom jokingly “suspended” Kid Rock from performing in his state.
The governor wrote following on September 19:
“BECAUSE OF HIS HORRIFIC MUSIC, CALIFORNIA WILL INDEFINITELY SUSPEND KID ROCK FROM PERFORMING IN THE GOLDEN STATE. YOU’RE WELCOME! — GCN”
BECAUSE OF HIS HORRIFIC MUSIC, CALIFORNIA WILL INDEFINITELY SUSPEND KID ROCK FROM PERFORMING IN THE GOLDEN STATE. YOU’RE WELCOME! — GCN
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 20, 2025
That initial post was widely understood as a satirical commentary on the ongoing national debate surrounding free speech and the influence of the executive branch on media. The governor used Kid Rock, a vocal supporter and friend of President Trump, as a stand-in to make a sharp political point.
