Kid Rock Recounts Unexpected Phone Call with Macron During Golf Game with Trump
The musician shared the anecdote on Bill Maher's show, describing how then-President Trump handed him the phone to speak with the French leader.
Musician Kid Rock shared an unusual anecdote on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher," detailing a golf outing with former President Donald Trump that led to an impromptu conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron.
During the show, Kid Rock recounted that Trump was taking calls throughout their golf game. "The guy’s taking calls all day," Kid Rock said. "He’s working while you’re golfing. This guy does not stop working. We can all agree on that. He sleeps maybe four or five hours a night." According to Kid Rock, Macron called while they were on the course, and Trump handed him the phone.
"So he gives me the phone and I’m like, ‘Hello, Mr. President,’" Kid Rock said, describing his interaction with Macron. "And I’m like, ‘I’m from the Paris of the Midwest: Detroit.’ And Trump leaves, he gets in the golf cart."
Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, then mimicked his brief conversation with Macron, adding, "I was like, ‘So what else you been up to?'"
The story elicited laughter from Maher's audience, which also included Sen. Ted Cruz and journalist Jim VandeHei. The anecdote surfaced during an episode where Maher also discussed a recent dinner he had with Trump, which drew criticism from some Democrats.
Political strategist Kaivon Shroff commented on the incident, suggesting Maher's reaction was performative. "If Barack Obama had handed Emmanuel Macron off to some celebrity on a golf course and driven away, Maher would have gone on a ten-minute rant about how unserious, embarrassing and beneath the presidency it was," Shroff told Fox News Digital. "Trump does it and suddenly Maher is pounding the table laughing like it is the funniest thing he has ever heard."
Shroff criticized Maher's response as a "performance" tailored for his audience, arguing that the comedian's repeated criticism of Democrats and apparent camaraderie with figures like Kid Rock and Trump shifted his political alignment. "His whole brand is the liberal who bashes other liberals," Shroff said. "But at some point if all you do is bash Democrats, pal around with Kid Rock, and suck up to Trump — you’re just a Republican."