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OPINION

No Contrived, Angry Values Here: TurningPoint USA's Half-Time

kid rock prominent musician in and of the united states

Musician Kid Rock arrives for subcommittee hearing with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in the Russell Senate Office Building on Jan. 28, 2026 in Washington, D.C. The subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy, held the hearing to discuss the live entertainment industry and improper ticket sale practices. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Tamar Alexia Fleishman, Esq. By Tuesday, 10 February 2026 03:06 PM EST Current | Bio | Archive

There was a time when everyone watched certain American cultural events. That’s absolutely everyone, no matter their race, religion, gender or age.

Kids would talk about what they saw in school.

Moms shared thoughts at the morning "kaffeklatch."

Dads took a break around the water cooler by swapping takes on the latest event.

In the days before television sets in every home, Americans gathered at appliance stores to watch American astronauts walking on the moon.

Everyone had an opinion of who won Miss America.

—We watched the presidential inaugurations.

—We followed the Olympics and most universally.

—We watched the Super Bowl with its half-time show.

This year, the NFL took a sledgehammer to our annual rallying point behind football, music and snacks. They selected Bad Bunny, a cross-dressing, "gender fluid" Puerto Rican singer whose songs in Spanish decry America and President Trump.

Reportedly, NBC had to have sub-titles in English for the American audience.

Joining him was the perpetual (and past its prime) Never-Trumper band Green Day.

Seriously.

Did NFL Chairman Roger Goodell really think this is an appropriate act for all of  America and its families to hear and see? 

Conservative organization TurningPoint USA (TPUSA) in its first completely new project since the assassination of founder Charlie Kirk, decided to put on its own half-time show – and history will not consider it an also-ran.

For patriots not wanting to be castigated by celebrities and parents who don't want their kids being exposed to libertines, the announcement was a welcome one.

Like all the big events in history, TPUSA arranged for the show to be broadcast across several channels and platforms, distinguishing itself by the younger generations’ excellence in outreach.

Presented as the "All-American Halftime Show," the lineup included Kid Rock, Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett.

The show opened with solo electric guitar playing the Star-Spangled Banner, shades of Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock. The set was simple, with red and white stripes, halfway from intimate to larger venue.

Brantley Gilbert definitely possesses the modern country sound, singing about America with traditional ballad moments mixing with more "street" rap phrases.

Gabby Barrett showed off real singing skills, not Auto Tune, in a power ballad.

Lee Brice is a modern country artist influenced by rock with the strength of the 1990s country crowd pleasers like Travis Tritt and Toby Keith.

He has political, patriotic aspects, lamenting the strife currently facing the United States.

He's not a kid or "pretty boy," not manufactured by recording labels.

It's an interesting dichotomy: Brice's realness in contrast with the left's carefully applied veneer with fake singing, hair, and contrived values.

This wirter's mom is from Detroit: I look at Kid Rock, introduced to the audience by his real name, Robert Ritchie, as a hometown hero made good.

Like Mick Jagger, he looks and performs like someone 30 years younger than he is.

Most people are unaware of the tremendous good that he’s done for even highbrow arts, donating $250,000 to the Detroit Historical Museum (a world-class venue) for a music lab and raised $1 million for the renowned Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

For the show, he shifted from his rocking classics to a thoughtful ballad that touched on family, religion and life.

A tribute to Charlie Kirk finished the show, giving depth and meaning to the halftime show that showed the real America.

Tamar Alexia Fleishman was the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's youngest female solo violinist. She travels globally, and has debated Bill Maher, Greta Van Susteren, and Dr. Phil. She practices law in Maryland. Read more Tamar Alexia Fleishman Insider articles — Click Here Now.

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TamarFleishman
No Contrived, Angry Values Here: TurningPoint USA's Half-Time
jagger, ritchie
601
2026-06-10
Tuesday, 10 February 2026 03:06 PM
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