United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that suspensions have been lifted for the U.S. Army helicopter crews who flew two military helicopters near Kid Rock’s Tennessee home last weekend.
Kid Rock initially posted a video of the helicopters on Saturday amid the ongoing No Kings protests in Nashville. Although the U.S. Army suspended the crew members on Monday and promised to investigate the situation, Hegseth confirmed that there will, in fact, be no investigation.
Hegseth thanked Kid Rock in an X post, though he didn’t elaborate on what he was specifically thanking the 55-year-old singer for.
“Carry on, patriots,” Hegseth wrote on X.
Thank you @KidRock.@USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED.
No punishment. No investigation.
Carry on, patriots. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/Zqhv1Zx1iG
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 31, 2026
Hegseth’s decision came hours after reporters asked President Donald Trump about the incident during a White House media session. Trump and Kid Rock have previously expressed mutual respect for one another, and Tuesday, ironically, marked one year since the two met at the White House.
“They probably shouldn’t have been doing it — you’re not supposed to be playing games, right?” Trump told reporters. “But I’d take a look at it. They like Kid Rock. I like Kid Rock. Maybe they were trying to defend him. I don’t know.”
In an interview with News 2 in Tennessee, Kid Rock shared how much the flyby meant to him. “They circled back around and came out right over here, and I just gave them a salute, kind of a thank you,” he said, “and, man, it was a level of respect that I got that no award or record sales could do.”
It is believed that four crew members were suspended, as each helicopter seats a pilot and a co-pilot/gunner. Their identities had not been publicly confirmed as of Wednesday morning.
Reporter: There was a viral video this week of army helicopters near Kid Rock’s house.
Trump: I’m sure they had a good time.
Reporter: They said the crews of the helicopters had been suspended. What do you think of that?
Trump: They probably should not have been doing it. I… pic.twitter.com/0tm5NAK8ws
— Acyn (@Acyn) March 31, 2026
Kid Rock’s initial X post, which featured a 26-second clip of the helicopters, had nearly 17 million views as of Wednesday morning. That post also included a jab at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has repeatedly clashed with Trump in recent months.
“This is a level of respect that s— Governor of California will never know,” he wrote. “God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her.” Newsom, who remains a prominent figure in the 2028 presidential cycle, had not responded to the “All Summer Long” singer as of publication.
Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert Ritchie, has remained active this year. He headlined the inaugural Turning Point USA All-American Halftime Show, an alternative to the traditional Super Bowl halftime show, in February. Of the nearly 394,000 X users who voted in a TMZ poll asking who had the better performance between Kid Rock and Bad Bunny, 64.5% voted for Kid Rock.
An estimated 5.7 million to 6 million viewers tuned in to the YouTube feed concurrently during the Feb. 8 event. Kid Rock averages over 6.2 million Spotify listeners per month.
