Ted Nugent gets call from Secret Service over violent election remarks
Nugent, who told the gun rights group last week that he would be 'dead or in jail' next year if Obama is re-elected in November, appeared on conservative radio host Glenn Beck's show on Wednesday.
Ted Nugent plays his guitar during an interview before a concert at the House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada in this file image from 2007.
Steve Marcus/Reuters/File
Ted聽Nugent聽said on Wednesday that the聽U.S. Secret Service聽has arranged to meet with him after the rock musician severely criticized President聽Barack Obama聽during the聽National Rifle Association聽convention last week.
Nugent, who told the gun rights group last week that he would be "dead or in jail" next year if Obama is re-elected in November, appeared on conservative radio host聽Glenn Beck's show on Wednesday.
He was asked if he had heard from the聽Secret Service.
"We actually have heard from the聽Secret Service, and they have a duty, and I salute them. I support them and I'm looking forward to our meeting tomorrow,"聽Nugent聽said on Beck's show.
"I'm sure it will be a fine gathering backstage in聽Oklahoma,"听狈耻驳别苍迟听蝉补颈诲.
The 63-year-old聽Nugent聽is set to perform in聽Ardmore,聽Oklahoma, on Thursday.
Nugent, the singer of such 1970s hit songs as "Cat Scratch Fever" and "Motor City Madhouse," is a longtime advocate for gun rights and in recent years he has campaigned for conservative politicians and causes.
A聽Secret Service聽spokesman declined to directly address whether the federal agency tasked with protecting the president would be meeting with聽Nugent.
"We are aware of the incident with聽Ted聽Nugent, and we are conducting appropriate follow-up," said spokesman聽Brian Leary聽in a statement. "We recognize an individual's right to freedom of speech but we also have a responsibility to determine and investigate intent."
Republican presidential candidate聽Mitt Romney聽also made a high-profile appearance and speech at the NRA convention attended by聽Nugent, who has endorsed Romney.
Nugent's comments last week at the NRA convention were seized on by the聽Democratic National Committee聽(DNC), in a fundraising email on Monday.
U.S. Representative聽Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the DNC, said at the time, "threatening violence -- or whatever it is that聽Nugent's threatening -- is clearly beyond the pale."
In other comments at the convention in聽St. Louis聽last week,聽Nugent聽aimed his barbs at other officials in Obama's administration.
"We need to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November,"聽Nugent聽said at the convention.
A spokesman for聽Nugent聽could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.
But in his appearance on Beck's radio show,聽Nugent聽said he was not calling for violence.
"Every reference I made, whether it's a shot across the bow or targeting the enemy, it always ended the sentence with 'in November at the voter booth,'"聽Nugent聽told Beck.
Following聽Nugent's comments last week, a Romney spokeswoman said the candidate believes "everyone needs to be civil," but stopped short of condemning聽Nugent.