Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Kid Rock Over TPUSA Halftime Lip-Sync Claims
Jimmy Kimmel took aim at Kid Rock during Monday night’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” ridiculing the rocker’s appearance in Turning Point USA’s alternative Super Bowl LX halftime show after footage circulated online that appeared to show his mouth not matching the audio. Kimmel framed the moment as one of the bigger talking points to come out of the night, alongside discussion of commercials and the official halftime set led by Bad Bunny.
Discussing the TPUSA production, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Kimmel called the segment “a lip sync battle with himself,” as the show played clips that he argued showed the performance out of alignment.
Kid Rock, whose real name is Bob Ritchie, has pushed back on the accusation. He said the halftime performance was pre-recorded but “performed live,” and blamed the appearance of mismatched vocals on an issue syncing the audio and video during broadcast of “Bawitdaba.” Ritchie also criticised what he described as “haters and fake news” for characterising the technical problem as lip-syncing.
Kimmel’s jokes landed in a broader political context after President Trump publicly attacked Bad Bunny’s official Apple Music halftime show, calling it “terrible” and claiming viewers could not understand the lyrics. In response, Kimmel contrasted the outrage directed at the official production with the negative attention drawn to Turning Point USA’s alternative event, quipping that the group would likely return next year with something even more chaotic.
The exchange adds another headline to the long-running cycle of Super Bowl halftime debate, where performance choices, production glitches and partisan commentary can eclipse the game itself. Whether Kid Rock’s explanation quiets the criticism or keeps the story alive may depend on whether additional broadcast footage or technical details emerge.
