Hollywood couldn’t have scripted it better: the conclusion to the drama of what will happen to the aircrew who flew army helicopters over Kid Rock’s Nashville home last weekend appears to have come to a fairly quick ending. The answer: Absolutely nothing. After the Army suspended the crew who allegedly flew military helicopters near Kid Rock’s residence, over which President Donald Trump weighed in (though he claimed he did not see the video footage of the incident that the rocker shared), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has put an end to the drama. For now.
On Tuesday, following news that the Army had suspended the pilots involved, the defense secretary, in a hold-my-beer-moment, declared, “@USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED,” in a social media post in X, which for some reason also thanked Kid Rock. He added, “No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots” and ended his post with an American flag emoji.
The whole hubbub started on Saturday, after Kid Rock, given name Robert Ritchie, posted a video of himself clapping for two AH-64 Apache helicopters who were hovering by his house while he was standing on the pool deck of his home — it’s an area he’s named “The Southern White House” as it’s a replica of the White House in Washington, D.C. Also as seen in the video, the yard features a person-sized Statue of Liberty overlooking the pool.
“This is a level of respect that shit for brains Governor of California will never know,” Rock captioned the video, blasting Gavin Newsom. “God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her.” At press time, the video has been viewed 10 million times.
The U.S. Army identified the aircraft as AH-64 Apache helicopters, which were flying in the Nashville area. A military spokesperson said on Monday that “appropriate action will be taken if any violations are found.” The spokesperson added that the aircraft had come from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, prior to their flying around the Nashville area, during which the pilots decided to do an apparent fly-by over Kid Rock’s house.
Per a statement from the Army on Monday, “Army aviators must adhere to strict safety standards, professionalism, and established flight regulations. An administrative review is underway to assess the mission and verify compliance with regulations and airspace requirements.”
On Tuesday, President Trump was asked by Fox News’ Peter Doocy if he had viewed the “viral video” of “army helicopters hovering near Kid Rock’s house in Nashville.” Trump said he had not seen the footage but remarked, “I’m sure they had a good time.” When asked about the aircrew having been reportedly suspended following the apparent stunt, Trump responded, “Well, they probably shouldn’t have been doing it, yes. You’re not supposed to be playing games, right?” But seemingly in their defense he added, “They like Kid Rock. I like Kid Rock. Maybe they were trying to defend him. I don’t know.”
And while the timing seemed planned as a response to the left’s No Kings protests that took place over the weekend, drawing millions, including Bruce Springsteen, who performed at the St. Paul rally, a spokesman for the 101st Airborne Division in Fort Campbell denied the fly-overs having any connection. The Nashville helicopter flights around Kid Rock’s home were “entirely coincidental” with the rallies, the spokesman said.
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