Greg Kelly Blasts Hegseth Over Kid Rock Flyby
Newsmax prime-time host Greg Kelly has sharply criticised U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after two AH-64 Apache helicopters flew near Kid Rock’s home in the Nashville, Tennessee, area. The dispute centres on Hegseth’s decision to lift the pilots’ suspensions and decline punishment or an investigation into the fly-by.
The Hill reported that Kelly argued the incident would not be treated as acceptable if it involved a different celebrity, calling it an “amateur move” to post about it on social media and urging the Pentagon to discipline what he described as “hot dog pilots” performing unauthorised stunts.
Kelly’s criticism appeared to escalate after Hegseth publicly thanked Kid Rock and said the suspension of the helicopter crews had been lifted, adding there would be no punishment or investigation. Kelly wrote that leadership requires unpopular decisions and warned that a future stunt could end badly if such actions are not checked.
The incident has also been debated inside Kelly’s own coverage, as he previously called the fly-by “kind of cool” on his programme before stressing that pilots can get into trouble for that kind of conduct. The helicopters were reported to be from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and they flew in the Nashville area on Saturday.
The debate adds to the broader scrutiny surrounding the military response to the stunt, after Hegseth’s decision to end the Army’s probe into the fly-by drew attention online and in the media.
Kid Rock shared backyard video of the aircraft near his pool and praised the show of support, while critics have focused on questions of professionalism and safety. For Hegseth, the episode has become a public test of how his Pentagon handles discipline and optics when celebrity and politics collide.
