You probably didn’t have "Fox News anchor drops bars" on your 2026 bingo card. But honestly, the Bret Baier rapping video has become one of those weird, unshakeable artifacts of internet culture that just won't go away. We're used to seeing Baier in a crisp suit, delivering the Special Report headlines with a serious, "just the facts" demeanor.
Then he grabs a mic.
Suddenly, he isn't the guy talking about Senate floor votes or foreign policy. He’s the guy who knows every single lyric to "Rapper’s Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang. It's jarring. It's kind of impressive. And for some people, it’s the ultimate "cringe-but-cool" moment that humanizes a man usually confined by a teleprompter.
Why the Bret Baier Rapping Video Keeps Going Viral
This isn't just one video, actually. That’s the thing most people get wrong. There is a whole cinematic universe of Bret Baier rapping "Rapper's Delight."
It’s his "go-to" party trick. He’s been doing this since high school.
The most recent version that blew up in mid-2025 shows him at an outdoor event, wearing a casual button-down and khakis. He doesn't just mumble the words. He commits. He has the cadence. He has the rhythm. Most importantly, he has the audacity to shout out his own news show in the middle of a 1979 hip-hop classic.
"6 p.m., Special Report. It’s really good, very fair, very balanced!"
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It’s peak "Dad energy" turned up to eleven.
The Different Times He's Done This
If you've seen the clip, you might be wondering where it actually came from. There are three or four main versions floating around:
- The Rascal Flatts Concert (2019): This was a big one. He was at a concert in Bristow, Virginia. The band literally called him up on stage. He didn't blink. He just went for it in front of thousands of country music fans.
- The Holiday Party with the Actual Sugarhill Gang (2018): Imagine being so confident in your rap skills that you perform "Rapper's Delight" with the actual Sugarhill Gang. Baier did this at his 10th-anniversary party for Special Report. He wore a suit covered in Christmas trees. It was a lot.
- The Golf Tournament Sneak Peeks: He’s been caught on camera at the American Century Championship (a celebrity golf tournament) doing the same bit. It’s clearly his comfort zone.
- The 2025 "Summer Vibes" Clip: The latest one to hit the algorithms. This is the one where the internet really lost its mind again, mostly because the audio was so clear and Baier looked so incredibly comfortable on stage with a live band.
Is He Actually Any Good?
Listen, he's not winning a Grammy. But if you’ve ever tried to karaoke "Rapper’s Delight," you know it’s a marathon. It’s a fast, wordy, seven-minute track (in its original form).
Baier has the "Wonder Mike" verse down to a science.
The cadence is surprisingly on point. He doesn't trip over the "bang-bang, the boogie to the boogie" parts. For a guy who spends his day reading prompters at a specific "news anchor" tempo, his ability to switch into a rhythmic flow is... well, it's better than yours probably is after two beers.
Critics, of course, find it awkward. It’s a wealthy, middle-aged news anchor performing a seminal Black art form in front of mostly white, upper-class audiences. There’s a layer of "corporate karaoke" that some find hard to swallow. But for his fans, it’s just a guy having fun and showing a side that isn't scripted by a producer.
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The "Lois Lane" Lyrics and the Fox Twist
One of the funniest parts of the Bret Baier rapping video is how he adapts the song. In the original, there’s a whole section about a "reporter" stopping the rapper for an interview.
Baier leans into this hard.
He plays up the "young reporter" lines, often pointing to himself or the crowd. He’s essentially meta-rapping about his own profession. When he gets to the part about Lois Lane and Superman, he’s usually got the crowd in the palm of his hand. It’s a weirdly specific intersection of 70s hip-hop and modern media branding.
What This Tells Us About Modern News Anchors
We live in an era where the "Voice of God" news anchor is dead. Walter Cronkite isn't coming back. Today, anchors have to be "personalities." They have to be "relatable."
Whether you like Fox News or not, Baier’s rapping is a masterclass in personal branding. It makes him a "guy you could grab a beer with," which is the holy grail of cable news marketing. It’s the same reason Greg Gutfeld does comedy or why CNN anchors used to get tipsy on New Year’s Eve.
People want to see the person behind the desk.
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Where to Find the Best Version
If you're looking for the "cleanest" version of the video, the 2025 outdoor performance is the one to search for. It’s all over X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.
Just search for "Bret Baier Rapper's Delight 2025."
You’ll see him on stage, mic in hand, absolutely owning the "hot butter on my breakfast toast" line. It’s a spectacle. It’s a meme. It’s a reminder that even the most serious people in Washington have a "thing" they do when the cameras (they think) aren't the official ones.
Actionable Takeaways from the Baier Viral Moment
- The Power of the "Go-To": Everyone needs a party trick. Baier found his thirty years ago and he’s still getting mileage out of it.
- Context is Everything: If you're going to do something "cringe," do it with 100% confidence. That’s what makes the video work; he doesn't look embarrassed.
- Humanizing the Brand: If you’re a professional in a "stiff" industry, showing a hobby or a quirky talent (even a goofy one) can actually build more trust with your audience than staying perfectly polished 24/7.
Next time you see him on Special Report talking about the debt ceiling, just remember: that man knows exactly what "the rhythm of the boogie, the beat" is all about.
To see the performance for yourself, search YouTube for "Bret Baier Rascal Flatts" or check his official Instagram archives from December 2018 for the Sugarhill Gang collaboration. Watching the 2018 version specifically provides the best context for just how far he’s willing to take the bit, especially with the Christmas suit involved.