Trump Left Kid Rock on the Phone With Macron During Golf Outing
Kid Rock recounted on October 30 that he ended up speaking with French President Emmanuel Macron after President Donald Trump passed him the phone during a golf outing. The story drew laughter from the audience on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.
The musician, whose name is Robert Ritchie, said Trump had been taking calls while they golfed. When Macron called, Trump introduced him as Kid Rock and invited him to say hello, Ritchie said. He greeted Macron and joked that he was from Detroit, the “Paris of the Midwest.”
Ritchie said Trump then got into his golf cart and left him on the call. He added that he asked Macron what else he had been doing. Maher also laughed at the account, telling the audience that Trump had left Macron speaking with Kid Rock.
The anecdote came after a second White House dinner attended by Maher, Ritchie and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith. Maher said Trump had criticized him in a lengthy Truth Social post after the dinner. Democratic strategist Kaivon Shroff criticized Maher’s reaction, arguing that he would have condemned the same conduct by a Democratic president. Fox News Digital sought comment from the White House and Maher.
Trump’s Golf-Course Macron Call Raises Questions About Presidential Conduct
A story that drew laughs on Bill Maher’s show also raised a question about how a president should handle a call with a foreign leader. Kid Rock said Trump passed him the phone while golfing with Macron on the line, then got into his cart and left him to continue the conversation.
Kid Rock, whose name is Robert Ritchie, said Trump introduced him to Macron and prompted him to say hello. Ritchie greeted the French president and joked about Detroit being the “Paris of the Midwest.” He said he then asked Macron what else he had been doing.
Maher’s audience laughed at the tale, but Democratic strategist Kaivon Shroff argued the response showed a double standard: he said Maher would have attacked a Democratic president for handing a foreign leader off to a celebrity and driving away. That criticism puts the focus on presidential seriousness, not simply on whether the moment made for a funny television anecdote.
The story followed a White House dinner attended by Maher, Ritchie and ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith. Maher said Trump had subsequently criticized him in a lengthy Truth Social post. Fox News Digital sought comment from Maher and the White House.
Kid Rock’s Macron Anecdote Shows Trump Working Through Golf
Kid Rock’s account of a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron offered a humorous glimpse of President Donald Trump handling calls even during a golf outing. On Bill Maher’s October 30 show, the musician said Trump was taking calls throughout the day and passed him the phone when Macron called.
Trump introduced Kid Rock to Macron and told the musician to say hello, Ritchie said. He greeted the French president with a joke about Detroit being the “Paris of the Midwest.” Trump then got into his golf cart, leaving the two to continue the exchange, Ritchie said. He recalled asking Macron what else he had been doing.
The audience laughed as Maher retold the punchline. Kid Rock also described Trump as someone who keeps working while golfing and sleeps only about four or five hours a night. The anecdote can be read as a lighthearted example of a president staying engaged with calls, rather than a formal diplomatic encounter.
The appearance came after a White House dinner with Maher, Kid Rock and sports commentator Stephen A. Smith. Maher said Trump later criticized him in a lengthy Truth Social post. A Democratic strategist accused Maher of treating Trump more indulgently than he would a Democratic president; Fox News Digital sought comment from Maher and the White House.
Reported by The Daily Beast, Fox News.
