This article was originally published on March 30, and was updated on April 1.
Sec. Of War Pete Hegseth Reverses Suspension Of Helicopter Crew
In a sudden turn of events in the evening of Tuesday, March 31, Sec. of War Pete Hegseth made a simple post on X, formerly Twitter, undoing a suspension made by the U.S. Army of the aircrew involved in a controversial flyby of musician Kid Rock’s mansion in Nashville, Tennessee.
Footage of this flyby was posted to social media by Kid Rock on March 28 amid nationwide protests in connection to the “No Kings” movement.
Further, Sec. Hegseth went as far to say in his post, “No punishment. No investigation.”
Thank you @KidRock.@USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED.
No punishment. No investigation.
Carry on, patriots. 🇺🇸 https://t.co/Zqhv1Zx1iG
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) March 31, 2026
Kid Rock’s Video Of Military Helicopter Flyby Corresponds With “No Kings” Protest
On Saturday, March 28, many major cities across the United States saw protests and demonstrations affiliated with the “No Kings” movement.
Citing, the United States’ ongoing military action in Iran, law enforcement tactics utilized by ICE, and perceived “attacks” on the First Amendment’s right to freedom of speech, the protests were held, according to the No Kings website, because President Donald Trump “wants to rule over us as a tyrant. But this is America, and power belongs to the people — not to wannabe kings or their billionaire cronies.”
Among the cities that had significant No Kings demonstrations was Nashville, Tennessee.
At the Nashville demonstrations, some participants noted they observed two Apache helicopters flying overhead.
Later on, these helicopters seemed to appear to be engaging in a flyby at Kid Rock‘s mansion, which includes a replica of the White House called “The Southern White House.”
On Monday, March 30, the Army announced it has opened an investigation of the Apache helicopter personnel who took the helicopters by Kid Rock’s property, according to a statement issued to The Hill.
Maj. Jonathon Bless, spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division, said, “The Army is aware of a video circulating online that appears to show AH‑64 Apache helicopters operating in the vicinity of a private residence in the Nashville area.”
Continuing, Maj. Bless said, “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.”
Concluding his remarks on the Kid Rock video, he noted, “Appropriate action will be taken if any violations are found.”
Responding to news of the investigation, Kid Rock told WKRN, “I think they’re gonna be alright. My buddy’s the commander-in-chief.”
Beyond his allusion to his friendship with President Trump, he went on to say, “I mean, what are they looking into? They stopped for, I don’t know, seconds — a minute. Maybe they were here three or four minutes, you know, just say ‘what’s up?’”
He noted, “I wasn’t expecting any of that, but I thought it was really neat.”
However, a U.S. official told NBC News on Tuesday, March 31, that the aircrew of the helicopters seen in the video were suspended by the Army.
By the end of the day on March 31, Sec. of War Pete Hegseth reversed course on the decision to suspend the aircrew, posting on X that there would also be “no investigation.”
Regardless, prominent Nashville reporter Phil Williams, of News Channel 5, shared some images of the Apache helicopters, as seen in Kid Rock’s video, as they hovered just off of his property. He also said the helicopters were spotted flying over the “No Kings” protests.
Speaking to The Hill, Maj. Bless addressed this as well, saying, “These helicopters were flying a route in the Nashville vicinity for training purposes. Any association with the No Kings Rally also happening in Nashville that day is entirely coincidental.”
WATCH: Kid Rock’s Stunning Military Helicopter Video Takes Heat
Standing beside his replica of the Statue of Liberty, which overlooks his swimming pool in the hills of Nashville, Kid Rock shared a video of himself saluting two Apache helicopters on March 28.
Captioning his video of the flyby, Kid Rock wrote:
“This is a level of respect that s*** for brains Governor of California will never know. God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her.”
Watch the Apache helicopters do a flyby at Kid Rock’s Southern White House, here:
His shoutout to California Gov. Gavin Newsom comes just over a month after the Democrat leader jokingly “banned” Kid Rock from the state of California.
That “ban” came about on Feb. 21 when Kid Rock was seen in a zany workout video with HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in which they encourage America to adhere to a MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) lifestyle by “eating real food” and “getting active.”
Even before the Army was formally investigating the helicopter flyby at Kid Rock’s mansion, the video was already attracting some negative reactions.
Gov. Newsom’s Press Office, which isn’t afraid of speaking its mind, posted a response to Kid Rock’s helicopter video, questioning if it was an appropriate use of resources to purportedly arrange for a flyby of military assets at a musician’s home.
See Gov. Newsom’s response, here:
WASTE. FRAUD. ABUSE ??? https://t.co/HGSBEQG5IT
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) March 29, 2026
Whether the moment, which only lasts 40 seconds with a single cut in Kid Rock’s video, was a “waste” or is indicative of “fraud” or the “abuse” of taxpayer funds, as Gov. Newsom alleges, is not likely to be proveable.
Regardless, such a patriotic display did not disappoint many of Kid Rock’s fans, who left comments expressing approval of the moment.
One fan wrote on Instagram, “Imagine being that American badass that Apache helis just casually stop by to say hi.”
Another jokingly wrote, “You know most people have a security system and shot gun by the bed, but noooooo you have to have an AH-64.”
Echoing the sentiment of Kid Rock’s caption to the video, one fan wrote, “You can feel the respect in this. Our military deserves this kind of love every single day.”
Still, some commented in keeping with Gov. Newsom’s allegation, writing, “Using our tax payer dollars that fund the military for social media stunts….nothing weird, right?”
Responding to the investigation and controversy over the video, Kid Rock was interviewed on WKRN, which can be seen, here:
