Kid Rock responded quickly to a meme shared by California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) press office, depicting the musician in an AI-generated Uncle Sam outfit encouraging support for the governor.
The post, shared on X on Sunday, included the caption, “Kid Rock wants you to support Gavin Newsom.”
Newsom later amplified the post by retweeting it with the message, “Thanks, Kid Rock,” drawing immediate attention online.
In turn, Kid Rock reposted the image on his own X account, adding, “The only support Gavin Newscum will ever get out of me is from DEEZ NUTZ.”
The post quickly went viral, generating discussions about the ethical implications of using AI-generated content for political messaging and the responsibilities of both public officials and content creators.
Users on X immediately began questioning the legality of the post.
One user asked, “Isn’t this illegal?” while another noted, “I don’t think you can just go around falsely claiming people support you as this is defamation/libel.”
A third commented, “@KidRock should file suit against him for using his name and likeness without permission.”
The unauthorized use of a public figure’s likeness has been a contentious issue in both commercial advertising and political campaigns, as highlighted by Texas.gov.