Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has joined Kid Rock for a helicopter ride after an Army visit to the singer's house sparked controversy last month.
In an X post on April 27, Hegseth revealed he accompanied "my friend" Kid Rock and U.S. Army Apache pilots for a helicopter ride earlier that morning.
The development came after the Pentagon chief in late March quickly moved to lift the suspensions of personnel involved in flying military helicopters outside the home of the conservative musician, who is a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump.
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"Kid Rock is a patriot and huge supporter of our troops," Hegseth posted on X. "The War Department is wasting no time celebrating America's 250th — home of the free because of the brave."
In March, the Army said it was investigating after a video showed one of its helicopters flying by the Nashville home of the "Bawitdaba" singer. Kid Rock shared footage on X on March 28 showing himself saluting a military helicopter, which was hovering next to his pool.
In the post, the singer took a dig at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, writing that he was showing a "level of respect" that Newsom "will never know." He added, "God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her."
An Army spokesperson, Maj. Montrell Russell, told USA TODAY at the time that an "administrative review" into the incident had been opened.
"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," Russell said in a statement. "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. Appropriate action will be taken if any violations are found."
Army officials subsequently confirmed to USA TODAY that crews from the helicopters involved in the incident had been suspended. However, Hegseth announced just hours later that the suspension had been lifted. "No punishment. No investigation," he said in an X post on March 31. "Carry on, patriots. 🇺🇸"
Trump had told reporters that the crews involved in the Kid Rock incident "probably shouldn't have been doing it" and are "not supposed to be playing games." But he said he would "take a look at it," adding, "They like Kid Rock, I like Kid Rock. Maybe they were trying to defend him. I don't know."
For his part, Kid Rock told WKRN in March that the helicopter fly by was "harmless" and "really cool." He also said he expected that the crews would "be alright" because "my buddy's commander-in-chief."
Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman and Michael Loria, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kid Rock joins Pete Hegseth for helicopter ride after controversy
