Kid Rock Supports Ex-marine's Legal Battle With $5,000 Donation as Defense Fund Reaches $2.4 Million
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of violence and weapons rights that some readers may find distressing.
Country rapper Kid Rock has shown his support for ex-Marine Daniel Penny by donating $5,000 to a legal defense fund that aims to help him fight his manslaughter charge. The fundraiser, which has been organized by Penny's attorneys, has garnered widespread attention, with nearly 50,000 donations totaling more than $2.4 million raised as of May 15, 2023.
Kid Rock's donation, however, was not just a show of solidarity with Penny. In a note sent in along with his contribution on the Christian crowdfunding website GiveSendGo, the 52-year-old musician took aim at Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. "Mr. Penny is a hero. Alvin Bragg is a POS. Kid Rock," the message read.
Penny has been charged with manslaughter after killing Jordan Neely by putting him in a chokehold on the New York City subway. Neely, 30, died on May 1 after being held in the chokehold for approximately three minutes. A video of the incident surfaced online, sparking protests across NYC and calls for criminal action against Penny.
Shortly thereafter, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg made the decision to prosecute Penny for manslaughter without convening a grand jury. This decision has drawn criticism from Kid Rock, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who have all publicly supported Penny and criticized Bragg, as per Daily Mail.
Kid Rock is known for his outspoken support of conservative causes. Throughout his career, he has championed various political issues, including gun rights. He has also courted controversy, including by flying the confederate flag during some concerts between 2001 and 2006.
Moreover, Kid Rock's donation is part of a larger trend of public figures lending their support to Penny's cause. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy donated $10,000 to the fundraiser, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted a link to the website, calling on Americans to support "good Samaritans" like Penny. These high-profile endorsements have helped the fundraiser attract thousands of donations and raise millions of dollars for Penny's legal defense.
In a tweet on May 5, Ramaswamy expressed his belief that Jordan Neely was a "habitual offender" and emphasized that it should not have been the responsibility of citizens to ensure public safety. Ramaswamy proceeded to outline a series of alleged crimes that Neely had been arrested for over the past eight years, with varying degrees of media coverage. Although Ramaswamy mistakenly stated that Neely had been arrested 44 times, it is widely reported that the actual number of arrests is 42.
In his tweet, Ramaswamy stated, "The moral of the Jordan Neely story isn't complicated: he was a habitual offender who should've been behind bars or in a mental institution, not free to terrorize New Yorkers. If local police had been allowed to do their jobs, that man would still be alive today - in custody."
