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Ted Nugent

Ted Nugent tells tale of his night with Trump and Kid Rock

Brian McCollum
Detroit Free Press
Rocker Ted Nugent sings the National Anthem before a Donald Trump rally at Freedom Hill Amphitheater on Nov., 6  2016, in Sterling Heights, Mich. On Wednesday, April 19, 2017, Nugent, Kid Rock and former Alaska gov. Sarah Palin joined Trump for dinner at the White House.

DETROIT — The menu featured lobster salad and lamb chops. The conversation ranged from "rock 'n' roll and hunting" to "military strength and Supreme Court justices." And everybody at the table was certainly on board with the politics.

That's how Ted Nugent tells the tale of his night with Kid Rock as personal guests of President Trump. The world awoke Thursday morning to learn the president had spent his evening with the Detroit-bred rockers, two outspoken Trump supporters who were invitees of fellow dinner guest Sarah Palin.

What they had expected to be an hour or two at the White House stretched into a freewheeling four-hour hang session, as the president gave them a detailed tour and sat down for a chatty dinner. Nugent’s wife, Shemane Nugent, and Rock’s fiancée, Audrey Berry, were among dinner guests who included White House spokesman Sean Spicer and policy adviser Stephen Miller.

“It was like I was hanging out with a bunch of my rock ’n’ roll buddies or at a hunting camp,” Nugent told the Detroit Free Press.

Related: Sarah Palin, Ted Nugent and Kid Rock visit the White House

Images from the scene, including a photo of Nugent and Rock sardonically posing with Hillary Clinton’s official portrait, quickly went viral among fans. Some were altered into mocking memes by those not so keen on the president or the gun-loving Nugent and Rock.

Conversation with Trump was wide-ranging, Nugent said — “rock ’n’ roll and hunting and guns and venison and energy and borders and military strength and Supreme Court justices and good food and pretty girls.” He said the president seemed acquainted with Nugent and Rock’s music.

The kinship is no surprise: The two rockers have been among Trump’s most vocal celebrity advocates, and Nugent said they represent a salt-of-the-earth American demographic that helped Trump land the presidency.

“Trump is swinging an American crowbar at all things status quo,” Nugent said. “Does that ring any bells? Does that sound like a guitar player from Detroit who was anti-dope, pro-law enforcement, pro-gun, during the hippie days?”

Nugent, 68, shared plenty of details about his night at the White House. (This is an edited transcript of the interview.)

Question: So, how did this come together?

Answer: Donald Trump reached out to Sarah Palin and said to invite people that she — well, I’ll let her use her own words — but people who matter, people who’d like to have dinner at the White House and that you think are influential and connected. And I don’t mean that in a (cocky) way, I basically mean people that are involved in their we-the-people responsibilities. Hellooo!

So she called, said President Trump had confirmed and he’d like us to attend. We got a buddy with a plane and off we go.

Related: 'Got your blue state right here': Ted Nugent grabs his crotch at Trump rally

And of course, his team had called me on (Nov. 8, to request an inauguration performance) after I’d done the Freedom Hill and Grand Rapids (campaign rallies). They saw that rock ’n’ roll is cool and has a life of its own and is a force to reckon with. But my political connection, especially with we-the-people Michiganiacs — the Michiganiacs in the asset column, the ones that produce, the ones with alarm clocks, you know those folks? They’re still alive and well across the country.

They saw how I connected with that audience at Freedom Hill and again in Grand Rapids, and that I knew exactly what buttons to push. And I mean that in a genuine, sincere way — important issues that are important to people who want quality of life and believe that individuals should earn their own way and be an asset to their family, community and country. (Trump) knew that’s the basis of American politics — where we the people monitor the actions of our elected employees and we raise hell with them and demand accountability. It’s not rocket science. Even the author of Wango Tango can figure this (stuff) out, you know what I mean?

Q: What did you guys talk about?

A: Everything! Rock ’n’ roll and hunting and guns and venison and energy and borders and military strength and Supreme Court justices and good food and pretty girls. What would you and I talk about around a campfire? I’m sure our conversations would run the gamut of the human experience and things that bring us joy and quality of life and intrigue and humor.

Q: Did he pick your brain?

A: Oh, boy! Yes, indeed. I wish you’d get Kid Rock on the phone to confirm.  ... I’ve got to tell you, it was so open, so unguarded, so down-to-earth and free-flowing. It was like I was hanging out with a bunch of my rock ’n’ roll buddies or at a hunting camp. Or hanging with some Teamsters, or hanging out with working-hard-playing-hard ranchers and cops and teachers.

He gave us a tour of that White House — I don’t think anybody’s ever had a better tour. The president took us to every room and looked at every painting and talked about every bed and every carpet and every rug and every bulletproof glass. It was just awesome.

Q: Did you get the sense that he saw you and (Kid Rock) as a conduit to a part of America he’s intent on staying in touch with?

A: Yes — though I felt in my gut that was not the driving force.  ... We talked about demographics and our fan base and how work-hard-play-hard America identified (with Trump). Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania — those are not reliably blue states.

And that’s why my media in those states and across the country I think resonated. I really got the licensed deer hunters, the NRA members, the people who believe in freedom and gun rights, I got them to vote. Because they saw nothing to vote for in McCain or Romney, and rightly so. But it was a tragic miscalculation, because they gave it to Obama. If you really analyze it, that’s what happened (in 2008 and 2012).  ... So we sent the wimps packing. And Trump’s no wimp.

Related: Rocker Ted Nugent tells NRA he backs Trump's Muslim ban

Here’s another real accurate overview: Trump is swinging an American crowbar at all things status quo. Does that ring any bells? Does that sound like a guitar player from Detroit who was anti-dope, pro-law enforcement, pro-gun, during the hippie days? It’s swinging a crowbar at all things status quo, because all things status quo ruin everything they come in contact with. The entrenched establishment politics is just obscene, and here comes a guy who’s not afraid to lift that middle finger. And God knows that resonates with Bob Ritchie (Kid Rock) and Uncle Ted and Sarah Palin.

Q: I have to say I’ve never gotten a good feel for his music tastes. He’s always struck me as a guy too focused on other things to spend much time with it.

A: You’re right, it’s not easy to pin that down, because we have no indicators. There’s never been a review or discussion of his musical tastes. But boy, he knew my songs. And he knew Bob’s songs. When I gave him this autographed guitar — I brought a red, white and blue guitar that Bob signed, too — he started beating on it, doing his best Elvis Presley impersonation. It was really rather precious.

And he was able to reference Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and Little Richard. Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. He’s got a couple of years on me — he’s 70 — and those are certainly the core influences of all things Detroit music and certainly Kid Rock and Ted Nugent, and he was aware of that. And I don’t think he did research just so he could bring up Bo Diddley’s name to me. He knew about this stuff, and he referenced it often.

Q: Whose idea was it to pose in front of the Hillary Clinton portrait?

A: That was my wife, Shemane. She said, “You guys have to stop here. I’ve got to get a picture of this.” Ever the thoughtful wife, yeah. And I guess that it’s made its rounds.

That’s another thing about it.  ... Nobody said, “You can’t do this and you can’t talk about that, you can’t go here and you can’t touch that.” It was a damned free-for-all. The president had faith that we knew how to conduct ourselves, regardless of what someone might have printed in Creem magazine about the Motor City Madman.

Q: We both know how divided the country is now. Events like last night go viral, and you’re going to get as much criticism as you do support. How much does any of that bother you at this point?

A: On a personal level, I get nothing but sheer laughter out of it, no matter what they say about me — the litany of draft-dodger, child molester, racist, homophobe, sexist. I mean, it’s all so false. But instead of getting angry, as a rock ‘n’ roll guy, all those labels are kind of ... fun. (Laughs) As inaccurate and dishonest as they are.

But it hurts me on a human and an American level that such dishonesty and hatred exists. That my life has been threatened for 40 years because I eat deer? This is worth killing my family for? These (people) have stated they mean it. ...

You know, I hate to quote Rodney King, but I’ve got buddies that are vegans and would rather not own guns, and guess what we do? They have a beer and I have a Vernors, and we make music and laugh and tease and have a good time. Not a negative vibe to be found.

Q: You and Kid Rock will inevitably get heat along the lines of: Why are these guys giving the time of day to someone who's been portrayed as a racist, problematic president?

A: That’s what I’m talking about. He’s not a racist. I’m not a racist. Sarah Palin’s not a racist. Kid Rock’s not a racist. If you’re going to criticize me, you’ve got to be honest. Come up with something that’s true. ...

So when they level those kinds of accusations, I tell you: I’ve known Sarah Palin a long time. I know Bob. I know President Trump. It rolls off our back, but we are hurt that such dishonesty exists. If you want to have a debate, we’ve got to be honest.

Q: Did you come away from Wednesday with the idea that Trump could have some role for you going forward?

A: Being clean and sober for 68.6 years allows you to come away with a flurry of considerations under any circumstance. The mind never stops. I read the atmosphere and the environment, the words and the body language, the gestures. I read everything. So like I say to everybody, nothing is impossible. I never say "never" about anything. I have no expectations, no desires or anticipations. I’m here if you need me.

I’m game for pretty much anything, because I’m ridiculously energized at the age of 68. I’ve got to mention, I’m a pretty high-energy guy. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this? You could probably cook marshmallows in the flames coming out of the bone. But I’ve met my match: this guy. I know what’s going on with Russia and the border and the IRS and the North Koreans and all the meetings and responsibilities of president. This guy is on fire. Not over-demonstrative. But just bubbly. He’s buoyant. The guy is attentive. He misses nothing. He is quick to interject but equally quick to respect other people’s stream of consciousness. He poses a question and steps back and listens.

And that was the modus operandi throughout the day with everybody. Good bunch of polite, caring, tuned-in, respectful, engaged people.

Most important thing of all? The food was served hot. I hate when they bring the main course and it’s not hot.

Follow Brian McCollum on Twitter: @BMcCollumFreep

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