Hegseth exonerates helicopter crews over Kid Rock flyby, nullifying Army probe

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/31/hegseth-kid-rock-flyby/

“No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, Patriots,” the Pentagon chief wrote on social media hours after military officials announced they had grounded the pilots involved.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday nullified an Army investigation into the unauthorized helicopter flybys of musician Kid Rock’s estate and anti-Trump protests in Tennessee over the weekend, announcing the move just hours after military officials opened their disciplinary review of the soldiers involved.

Kid Rock, whose legal name is Robert Ritchie, is an enthusiastic, longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, and he is widely admired among the president’s political base. Hegseth’s swift intervention in the case raised immediate questions about whether the military can hold its own accountable for actions that Hegseth may deem politically favorable.