Eminem’s Endorsement of Kamala Harris at Detroit Rally
On a notable Tuesday in Detroit, the iconic rapper Eminem took to the stage to introduce former President Barack Obama at a rally in support of Vice President Kamala Harris. Clad in a khaki Tigers hat, Eminem delivered a poignant speech, carefully reading from prepared remarks. He emphasized, “People shouldn’t be afraid to express their opinions, and I don’t think anyone wants an America where people are worried about retribution or what people will do if you make your opinion known. I think Vice President Harris supports a future for this country where these freedoms and many others will be protected and upheld.”
While Eminem’s brief remarks set an earnest tone, it was Obama’s casual rendition of a few bars from Eminem’s hit “Lose Yourself” that captured the spotlight and generated considerable buzz. However, as this tight election unfolds—potentially hinging on a few swing states, including Michigan—I can’t help but wonder if Eminem’s endorsement, particularly the manner in which he delivered it, could prove to be one of the most impactful endorsements that Vice President Harris receives.
The Generation Divide
Generation X has long been characterized as a cohort that embraces irony, often harboring a deep-seated distrust of norms and corporate structures. Notably, former President Trump has successfully harnessed this countercultural sentiment, garnering significant support from many in this demographic. Eminem’s peers—fellow Gen X white men—have increasingly aligned themselves as staunch allies of Trump. Figures like Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, and Kid Rock epitomize this trend, representing a dedicated faction of Trump’s voter base.
According to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll, Trump is currently leading Harris 51 percent to 44 percent among Americans aged 45 to 64, a demographic that largely encompasses Generation X. This is the only age group in which he maintains a lead. Interestingly, while Gen X figure Joe Rogan does not consistently endorse Trump—having backed Bernie Sanders in 2020 but expressing a preference for Trump over Joe Biden that same year—many of his podcast listeners do lean significantly toward Trump. This is likely why Trump chose to appear on Rogan’s show during the final stretch of his presidential campaign.
The Cultural Landscape
Rogan, much like Musk and Carlson, is captivated by themes of cancel culture and the notion of “free speech.” An NPR article from December highlighted that Generation X is emerging as the most Republican generation, driven by high disapproval rates of then-candidate Biden and a natural aversion to what was once termed political correctness. Sean Trende, a senior elections analyst for RealClearPolitics, articulated Gen X’s relationship with free speech as an embodiment of “almost like a cultural libertarianism.” This perspective has made them particularly receptive to messages from Trump and his allies that frame Democrats as overly censorious and punitive.
As I reflect on this phenomenon, I find myself grappling with the question of why so many Gen X white men—who played a pivotal role in shaping the culture I absorbed as a millennial teenager—have gravitated toward conservative ideologies, in stark contrast to their millennial counterparts. In attempting to unpack this dynamic, I’ve arrived at a personal shorthand: I yearn for the male cultural legacy of the 1990s to be represented by Kurt Cobain. Cobain, a figure marked by his anger yet also celebrated as a feminist artistic genius, embodied a more fluid conception of masculinity. His untimely death at the age of 27 cemented his status as an icon, forever preserved in the amber of his youthful genius.