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Democrats dismiss Kid Rock’s bid to run for Senate as ‘bizarre publicity stunt’

'Maybe this is all a joke — but we all thought Donald Trump was joking when he rode down the escalator at Trump Tower and announced his campaign, too'

Fiona Keating
Sunday 16 July 2017 17:03 BST
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Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren told supporters the supposed bid should not be taken lightly
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren told supporters the supposed bid should not be taken lightly (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

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Democrat Senators have voiced their concerns over Kid Rock's apparent bid for a seat on the US senate.

The musician appeared to confirm rumours that he will challenge Democrat Debbie Stabenow for a seat in Michigan.

Writing on Twitter, he said: "I have had a ton of emails and texts asking me if this website is real…The answer is an absolute YES."

Chuck Schumer, the Democrat senator for New York, said: "I'll be honest, we don't know if this is real, a joke, or a bizarre publicity stunt. But I'll tell you this: I don't find it funny."

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren told supporters in an email shared by the Boston Herald that the bid should be taken seriously.

"I know a lot of people are thinking: this is some sort of joke, right?" she said.

"Well, maybe this is all a joke — but we all thought Donald Trump was joking when he rode down the escalator at Trump Tower and announced his campaign, too."

Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, is a supporter and friend of the US President.

The Detroit-born entertainer, who is proud of his "redneck street cred", has a web page entitled Kid Rock for US Senate. He is pictured in his trademark sunglasses and leather jacket, sitting next to a stuffed stag.

But there were doubts concerning the authenticity of the senatorial bid as the musician had not filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission.

Kid Rock posted a message on his website on Thursday saying it was not yet too late.

"Once again the press is wrong. First of all, I’ve got 15 days from my announcement to file paperwork with the FEC!" he wrote.

He added: "Like politicians write books during their campaigns, I'm planning on putting out music during mine and IT ALL STARTS TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT. It's not a hoax, it's a strategy and marketing 101!"

However, one of the tags on the post was labelled "#fakenews", leading to speculation that the Senate bid could be a publicity stunt. The singer is currently promoting his new single, Greatest Show on Earth.

Stu Sandler, a Republican campaign consultant in Michigan, was perplexed by Kid Rock’s political ambitions."I really don't know, but it's kind of a fun ride. He seems to be pretty emphatic by his own language, and he's added some excitement," he told NPR news.

"The bottom line is he's not like any traditional candidate so he can do things other people can't."

The 46-year-old musician gave some insight into his political views in a 2015 Guardian interview.

"I am definitely a Republican on fiscal issues and the military, but I lean to the middle on social issues," he said.

"I am no fan of abortion, but it's not up to a man to tell a woman what to do. As an ordained minister I don't look forward to marrying gay people, but I'm not opposed to it."

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