Kid Rock’s Tribute to Former President George H.W. Bush Throws Fans in a Loop

Kid Rock posted a tribute to late former president George H.W. Bush this week, but many fans were incredulous after seeing the picture.

Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, is not exactly known for his wholesome music. Still, the rock, country and hip-hop artist has managed to hold on since beginning his career in the 1990s, and now that legacy shows. He posted a photo of himself with former President George H.W. Bush on Wednesday, as the funeral was going on.

“To Kid Rock with best wishes,” read the picture in a curling silver script. Presumably, it was written by the president himself.

Many fans could not believe that the two had had a respectful meeting, especially considering some of his lyrics had taken a harsh stance against the Bush family in the past. In his 1990 song “Pimp of The Nation,” he defines society in terms of “pimps” and “johns,” assuring his listener that he is the former. He then drops a line about former First Lady Barbara Bush.

“Only pimping h—s with the big tush / While you be left pimping Barbara Bush,” he rapped. “What’s up Granny? / First name Annie / Dried up c— and a sagging fanny.”

Many fans pointed this out and other lines that make it odd to see Kid Rock extolling the virtue of the 41st president. However, his fans came to his defense in no time, asserting that he has had decades to change in the intervening years.

It is true enough that Rock has taken a more standard Republican turn in recent years. He met President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama all while they were in office. He even visited the White House and met President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, though they were both criticized for that.

Meanwhile, Rock has toyed with the idea of running for office himself. For a time, he was threatening to run for the U.S. Senate, going so far as to sell campaign merchandise and post a picture of a yard sign on Twitter. However, he ultimately back-pedaled on this idea later on.

Still, Rock is a self-professed Republican, and while his tone may differ from that of President Bush Sr., many fans felt that they were philosophically similar. Rock was outspoken in support of U.S. military involvement in Iraq in the early 2000s, and is generally in favor of the right to bear arms.

Once in a while, however, his innate Kid Rock-ness shines through, such as at a WWE event earlier this year when he reportedly said he wanted “to go out and body slam some Democrats.”