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The Army has suspended the crew that flew military helicopters over Kid Rock’s Nashville home over the weekend – a US government official told NBC News on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Kid Rock shared a video of himself applauding two AH-64 Apache helicopters as they circled his property – an area he calls “The Southern White House,” a replica of the White House.
“This is a form of respect the brainless governor of California will never know,” Rock wrote in the caption – a clear dig at Gavin Newsom. “God bless America and all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in its defense.” At the time of going to press, the video had already been viewed ten million times.
Army initiates review
The US Army identified the aircraft as AH-64 Apache attack helicopters that were traveling in the Nashville area. A military spokesman said Monday that the incident was being investigated and “if any violations are found, appropriate action will be taken.” It was also revealed that the helicopters had taken off from Fort Campbell in Kentucky before flying over the Nashville area and apparently specifically over Kid Rock’s property.
An Army statement on Monday said: “Army aircraft commanders must adhere to strict standards of safety, professionalism and applicable flight regulations. An internal administrative review is ongoing to evaluate the operation and verify compliance with regulations and airspace requirements.”
In an interview, Rock boasted about his close friendship with President Donald Trump and expressed little concern. “I believe, [die Piloten] “We’re coming out of this in one piece – my buddy’s the commander in chief,” Rock told Nashville news station WKRN.
Connection to protests denied
Despite the temporal connection to Saturday’s flyovers – flight tracking data show at least one of the helicopters circled Rock’s property four times in three minutes – a spokesman for the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell denied any connection to the No Kings protests, which also took place over the weekend. The event drew millions of people, including Bruce Springsteen, who performed at the rally in St. Paul. The helicopter flights over Kid Rock’s home in Nashville were “purely coincidental,” the spokesman said.
