Zach Bryan has sparked new debate surrounding Super Bowl halftime politics after publicly criticizing Kid Rock’s alternative show put on by Turning Point USA, calling it “disgraceful” and “disgraceful” before deleting the posts.
The country singer shared his reaction shortly after Apple Music’s 2026 Super Bowl LX halftime show on Sunday, February 8, headlined by Bad Bunny.
While the official halftime performance aired, Turning Point USA promoted their own All-American halftime show, led by Kid Rock.
Bryan, 29, mocked the idea in a now-deleted Instagram Story, posting a snap of someone watching Kid Rock’s performance on a phone while physically blocking Bad Bunny’s show on the screen.
“What kid rock really thinks is happening all over America,” Bryan wrote over the image, according to a screenshot later shared on X.
The post quickly generated backlash.
In a follow-up story, also later deleted, Bryan shared a direct message he received from a social media user accusing him of selling out.
“You were my favorite artist. Now you’re just another fool, an out-of-touch elitist,” the message read.
Bryan responded bluntly, making his stance clear regardless of his political alignment.
“I don’t care what side you’re on, a group of adults throwing tantrums and their own halftime show is embarrassing as hell and the most embarrassing s**t on the planet,” he wrote over the screenshot.
Turning Point USA had advertised its event as a “family-friendly and values-driven” alternative aimed at viewers looking for “patriotic and uplifting entertainment.”
Kid Rock, a strong supporter of Donald Trump, performed alongside country artists Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert and Gabby Barrett.
The performance later drew its own criticism, with viewers accusing Kid Rock of lip-syncing during Bawitdaba his Devil without a cause album.
The 55-year-old musician, born Robert James Ritchie, addressed the claims during a February 10 appearance on fox news‘The Ingraham Angle.
“I wasn’t in sync,” Kid Rock said, rejecting the accusation. He added that if the performance had been pre-recorded, “It would have been very easy to sync it up if it was pre-recorded.”
Explaining further, he said, “I’m jumping around the stage like a rabid monkey, rapping my song, and I’m breathing, and my DJ is filling in the other parts… I even told them that when I saw the first cut, I was like, ‘You guys have to work on that timing. It’s off.'”
He later described it as a technical problem and said that production had tried to fix it but found it difficult.
Bryan wasn’t the only artist to speak out after the Super Bowl.
Kacey Musgraves also praised Bad Bunny’s halftime performance while attacking Kid Rock.
“Well. That made me feel more proudly American than anything Kid Rock has ever done,” he wrote on X.
While Bryan deleted his posts, the reaction highlights how this year’s Super Bowl halftime programming extended beyond music, reigniting conversations about politics, patriotism and how artists choose to respond when entertainment and ideology collide.
