New York, September 16, 2025 — The raw pain from Charlie Kirk’s assassination last week is still fresh, and now Kid Rock is stepping up to call out what he sees as more fuel on the fire: the mainstream media. On Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime” Monday night, the rock star-turned-conservative voice didn’t hold back, labeling news outlets “nuthouses” for keeping the division alive even after the Turning Point USA founder’s tragic death.
Kid Rock, who’s performed at inaugurations for both Barack Obama and Donald Trump, sat down with host Jesse Watters to talk about the shooting that took Kirk’s life at Utah Valley University. The 31-year-old activist was gunned down mid-event, and suspect Tyler Robinson, 28, was arrested days later after confessing to his father. Investigators are digging into motive, but the killing has sparked a national reckoning on political hate.
“The mainstream media is fricking public enemy number one right now,” Kid Rock said, his voice steady but edged with frustration. He pointed to how coverage seems to amp up the us-versus-them vibe, even as vigils for Kirk pop up across college campuses. When Watters asked about folks still celebrating the murder online, the musician urged calm: “Don’t let it get ugly. We’ve got to pull back.” It’s a message that hits hard from someone who’s no stranger to culture clashes himself.
The backlash has been fierce on both sides. Far-right groups have launched sites like “Expose Charlie’s Murderers” to dox people they say cheered Kirk’s death, leading to firings—like an MTSU staffer who posted she had “zero sympathy.” Meanwhile, tributes poured in from Trump, who blamed “radical-left” rhetoric, and even some left-leaning voices calling for less demonization.
Kid Rock’s take echoes a bigger worry: Is the media stoking the flames that led to this? As one X user put it after his appearance, “Time to turn off the nuthouses and talk like humans again.” With tensions this high, his words feel like a plea from the heart—one that might just cut through the noise.