Staunchly conservative musician (that’s putting it lightly) Ted Nugent has sparked renewed controversy with a politically charged rant aimed at several high-profile artists. Nugent made the comments during an episode of Talk Music With Uncle Ted where singled out Jack White of The White Stripes, Eminem, Green Day, and Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello.
Despite his attacks, Nugent acknowledged the musical abilities of several artists he criticized. Referring to Jack White and Eminem — both of whom performed during a recent Detroit Lions Thanksgiving halftime show — Nugent praised their artistry while sharply condemning their political positions.
“Jack White… he’s not a 10. He’s like a four or a five, but he really delivered real rock and roll,” Nugent said, as transcribed by The PRP. “And Eminem… both of those guys: total idiots.”
Nugent contrasted them with artists he considers elite, naming Sammy Hagar, James Brown, Steven Tyler, Angus Young, and Billy Gibbons as “tens.” Which makes sense – boomer enjoys boomer musicians.
However, Nugent claimed that White and Eminem‘s opposition to former President Donald Trump, along with their stances on immigration and transgender rights, disqualified them in his eyes. “They don’t want their country to have secure borders,” Nugent said clearly without reading anything about it. “They think men should destroy women’s sports… That’s exactly what they stand for.”
Nugent extended similar criticism to Green Day, saying that while he believes the band lacks intelligence, he still respects their musicianship. “There’s not a brain amongst them, I don’t think,” he said. “But man, can they play really, really killer stuff.”
He also went after Tom Morello, questioning both the guitarist’s politics and the message behind Rage Against The Machine‘s name. “You’re not raging against the machine,” Nugent said. “You are the machine.” And really, shout out to Ted Nugent for being the billionth person on the planet to make that joke. It’s super original and it never gets old!
Nugent challenged Morello directly, accusing him of opposing border security and inviting him to defend his views publicly. “Hey, Tom, come on my show. Explain… make your case. Good luck.”
Nugent‘s remarks may surprise some fans, as Morello stated in 2017 that he maintained a “good” friendship with Nugent despite their opposing political ideologies. Speaking to The Guardian at the time, Morello said their shared views on free speech allowed them to remain cordial, even when Nugent made inflammatory statements.
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