Introduction
If there’s one celebrity who never hesitates to speak up whenever politics turns controversial, it’s Kid Rock. And this time, his target is California Governor Gavin Newsom. But instead of delivering the blow himself, Kid Rock let the frustrated residents of Nashville do it for him.
The story began when Gavin Newsom made a surprise visit to Nashville, Tennessee. His official purpose was to meet with a local political activist group called the East Nastivists and appear on The Shawn Ryan Show. The gathering at East Nashville Beer Works looked like a typical political meet-and-greet, filled with friendly photos and handshakes. But that wasn’t the part that caught everyone’s attention.
Things exploded when the page Citycast Nashville posted a picture of Newsom and asked followers a simple question: “If you could ask him one question, what would it be?” The result? Thousands of comments poured in, most of them sharp and sarcastic. Many Nashville residents had once lived in California but left because they couldn’t stand the state’s policies. To them, Newsom’s appearance felt like a provocation.
Standout comments included: “Please go back to California,” “I came to Tennessee to get away from you—send him back,” “Why do people keep leaving California?” “How did you buy a $9 million mansion on a governor’s salary?” and the classic jab: “Don’t California my Tennessee.” Others bluntly questioned the billions supposedly allocated to address homelessness in California and why the state had deteriorated so quickly under his leadership.
This is where Kid Rock came in. Instead of writing a scathing post himself, he simply wrote: “Gavin Nuskum stopped by Nashville. Here are my favorite comments,” and listed them one by one. No extra commentary, no lectures—just letting Nashville residents speak for themselves.
The Shawn Ryan Show episode featuring Gavin Newsom has now been released and sparked its own wave of debate. Many conservatives argued that Newsom didn’t even deserve the platform, but Shawn Ryan still pressed him with a series of tough questions. As for Kid Rock? He seemed perfectly content to watch Nashville say exactly what he was thinking—loud and clear.