Allen West said Ted Nugent was just expressing his opinion. | AP, Reuters Allen West backs 'Motor City Madman'

Ted Nugent doesn’t bear “any ill will” toward President Barack Obama, Rep. Allen West said Thursday despite the rocker’s appointment with the Secret Service over his controversial comments.

“I think he was just expressing maybe his opinion about something and of course everyone wants to sensationalize things but let's leave it up to the Secret Service to interview him and get to the bottom of it,” West, a Florida Republican, told CNN’s Soledad O’Brien when asked about Nugent’s comments.


“I don’t think the Motor City Madman has any ill will toward the President of United States of America,” he said.

But O’Brien argued that Nugent’s feelings about Obama have been clear – it’s the violent intentions that are debatable, she said, adding “No, I don’t think he likes him at all. I think there’s a lot of ill will.”

West then said that the Nugent incident needed to be put in perspective.

( See Also: 10 little-known facts about Ted Nugent)

“Well, there’s a lot of people who didn’t like President [George W.] Bush and we didn’t have to cart them in front of the Secret Service, so let’s just let the people who are responsible for investigating take care of it,” he said.

Speaking at the National Rifle Association convention, Motor City Mad Man said, “If Barack Obama becomes the president in November again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.”

Nugent stands by his comments and is expected to meet with the Secret Service on Thursday.