Remember When Kid Rock Desecrated the American Flag?

Kid Rock has long been vocal about his patriotism, but did you know he once defaced a United States flag on live television?

During Super Bowl 38 back in 2004, Kid Rock cut a hole in an American flag and wore it as a poncho during his performance of "Bawitdaba."

Following the performance, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) filed a lawsuit against CBS for airing the defaced flag, which many viewers found offensive and un-American.

"That is just blatant, disgusting disrespect for the flag. We have people dying for that flag right now, and that just goes beyond any realm of understanding in my mind," VFW national spokesman Jerry Newberry told the St. Petersburg Times at the time, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

"It's not clothing. It's a flag. No one should be allowed to cut a flag under any circumstances. He slit that flag in the middle and wore it as a poncho. Shame on him. And shame on him and CBS and MTV and the NFL. Shame on them," Newberry continued.

The outlet also reports the VFW demanded apologies from everyone involved in the Halftime Show, including CBS, which aired it, MTV, which produced the performance, the NFL itself and Kid Rock.

The VFW also reportedly received hundreds of emails from angry veterans following Kid Rock's performance.

READ MORE: Kid Rock Storms Offstage in Nashville After Fans Won't Clap

According to Cornell Law School, anyone who "knowingly mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States" can face fines and imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Kid Rock's controversy was infamously overshadowed by Nipplegate that year –– a.k.a. the moment when Justin Timberlake ripped Janet Jackson's top and exposed her breast.

Today, the rock-rapper is known for his strong support of President Donald Trump and MAGA.

Rock apparently considers himself a "close friend" of Trump's, according to The Daily Beast, and even performed at his election victory rally in January 2025.

Despite his self-proclaimed patriotism, this isn't the first time Rock has run into flag-related trouble.

He was previously criticized for his use of the Confederate flag onstage in 2011.

At the time, he defended his actions by saying he was paying tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd.

"I’ve never flown that flag with any hate in my heart. Not one ounce," he said at the time, according to Billboard.