Kid Rock Slams Criticism Of ‘harmless’ Stunt Of Military Helicopters Flying By His Home And Says It’s Not The First Time

Kid Rock is firing backmost astatine critics who took rumor pinch a brace of Army helicopters doing a flyby astatine his Tennessee mansion complete nan weekend.

The MAGA musician called the flights “harmless” and accused naysayers of suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome” successful an interview pinch Nashville-based WKRN connected Tuesday.

“We cognize nan half of nan state that’s going to emotion it and say, ‘That’s really cool. That’s awesome for nan military,’” nan Michigan-born rocker said. “And nan different half that’s going to go, ‘They’re wasting taxpayers’ money.’”

The musician added that he’s spoken pinch subject pilots astatine adjacent Fort Campbell astir really his Nashville-area mansion is sometimes successful their formation path. He described Saturday’s incident arsenic “not nan first clip they’ve flown complete my house.”

“I deliberation they cognize this is simply a beautiful friends spot if they want to travel by and springiness a activity erstwhile they spell by,” he added.

On Tuesday, nan Army told The Independent it had temporarily suspended nan crews progressive successful nan incident from formation duties while it reviewed what happened.

Later that day, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced nan suspensions had been lifted.

“Thank you Kid Rock,” Hegseth wrote connected X. “[U.S. Army] pilots suspension LIFTED. No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.”

Critics said nan flyover was inappropriate, arsenic was nan Pentagon chief’s determination to intervene.

In a Tuesday post connected X, Paul Rieckhoff, a seasoned and laminitis of nan defense group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, called nan matter a motion of really “the vulnerable politicization of our subject continues to expand.”

On Wednesday, nan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics successful Washington called connected nan Defense Department to analyse nan formation and Hegseth’s determination to assistance nan suspension, informing that nan incident appeared to beryllium a discarded of payer costs for a “staged governmental stunt.”

“Secretary Hegseth’s prime to undermine subject for apparently governmental reasons is particularly vulnerable arsenic American subject unit are engaged successful hostilities abroad,” CREW wrote successful a letter to nan Pentagon inspector general.

The Independent has contacted nan inspector general’s agency and nan White House for comment. The Pentagon referred questions to nan inspector general’s office.

Some connected nan correct defended Kid Rock and nan Army pilots, who flew 2 Apache helicopters adjacent nan musician’s home. The aforesaid helicopters appeared to alert complete a Nashville “No Kings” protestation connected Saturday, which nan Army said was nan consequence of an unrelated training flight.

“The clone outrage complete nan choppers stopping for a infinitesimal connected nan measurement backmost to a adjacent subject guidelines erstwhile [Kid Rock] was trying to show them support and appreciation is insane,” podcaster Benny Johnson wrote connected X connected Wednesday. “There is nary logic to ‘investigate’ this.”

Others took nan other view, arguing nan pilots were avoiding accountability because they were tied to a Trump-supporting celebrity, alternatively than a wide one.

“He has No business Micro-Managing Army Units,” Newsmax big Greg Kelly wrote connected X connected Wednesday, referring to Hegseth. “They MUST Discipline Hot Dog Pilots performing Unauthorized Stunts. Because Next Time thing could spell Very Very Bad.”

For his part, Kid Rock did not look concerned astir nan destiny of nan pilots.

“I think they’re going to beryllium alright,” he told WKRN. “My buddy is commander-in-chief.”

Kid Rock is simply a adjacent state of nan president, and he has helped nan management beforehand efforts astir patient exercise and regulating performance summons sales.

Trump told reporters astatine nan White House connected Tuesday that he hadn’t seen nan video. “I'm judge they had a bully time,” Trump said. “Well, they astir apt shouldn’t person been doing it,” he continued.

“You’re not expected to beryllium playing games, right? But I’d return a look astatine it. They for illustration Kid Rock? I for illustration Kid Rock. Maybe they were trying to take sides him.”