Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday that the suspension of the flight crew members who hovered Apache helicopters near Kid Rock’s Nashville home over the weekend had been lifted.
Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, is a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump. He posted a video on Saturday of an attack helicopter hovering near the poolside of his home in Nashville, while adding insults to the governor of California in his caption.
An Army spokesperson told Business Insider on Monday that the flyby maneuver would undergo an “administrative review” and that “appropriate action will be taken if any violations are found.’
On Tuesday, Army officials said the flight crew members involved in the matter were suspended while the investigation was conducted, an Army spokesperson told multiple outlets.
At 6:34 p.m. Eastern time, Hegseth wrote on X that there would be no probe and that the suspension was reversed.
“Thank you @KidRock. @USArmy pilots suspension LIFTED. No punishment. No investigation,” Hegseth wrote. “Carry on, patriots.”
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to provide further comment beyond Hegseth’s post. An Army spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
The AH-64 Apache is an attack helicopter equipped with Hellfire missiles, rockets, and a 30 mm chain gun. It is primarily used for anti-armor missions.
There’s no law that explicitly bars flying an attack helicopter near private residences. Training missions can include low-altitude flight in civilian airspace. The military’s aviation rulebook states that the aircraft are utilized for “authorized purposes only.”
Army spokesperson Maj. Jonathon Bless told the Associated Press that the helicopters were on a training mission when they hovered near Kid Rock’s home.
When asked about the incident during a press conference in the Oval Office, Trump said the crew members “probably shouldn’t have been doing it.”
“You’re not supposed to be playing games, right? 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,” Trump said.
A representative for Kid Rock did not respond to a request for comment.
