Ted Nugent has kicked off 2026 with yet another rant. This time, dragging Eminem and Jack White into the crossfire. The conservative rocker shared a new video on January 1 as part of his Spirit Campfire series, titled Talk Music With Uncle Ted.
The segment, posted to his official YouTube channel, started off with casual music chatter. But it quickly veered into another of Nugent’s signature political monologues.
Praise before the punch
At first, Nugent complimented Jack White’s performance during the Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving halftime show, where White joined Eminem for a surprise set. He called it “real Detroit piss and vinegar”, noting that “Jack White… he’s not a 10… but he really delivered real rock and roll”.
However, it didn’t take long before that praise soured.
“Both of those guys, Eminem and Jack White: total idiots”, Nugent said. “They don’t want their country to have secure borders. They think men should destroy women’s sports”.
Politics over music
As usual, Nugent made little effort to hide his disdain for his political opposites. Rather than critique Eminem or White’s music, he launched into a conspiracy-tinged tirade, falsely claiming the artists support terrorism and open borders.
“When you hate Donald Trump”, Nugent argued, “you want men in women’s sports… They think we should invite jihadists in… And Jack White and Eminem say, ‘Yeah, bring them in.’ Freak idiots”.
Familiar targets, tired arguments
This isn’t the first time Nugent has taken aim at fellow Rock Hall inductees over politics. In the same breath, he dismissed Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello and Green Day for similar reasons. Still, he admitted to enjoying parts of their music.
Though the insults have become predictable, they continue to draw attention. Perhaps that’s the point.
Whether out of genuine conviction or pure provocation, Nugent’s rants remain part of his brand. But calling Jack White and Eminem “freak idiots” after praising their performance only highlights how little music and how much ideology now drives his commentary.
