Military officials are investigating after the musician Kid Rock shared a video over the weekend appearing to show two U.S. Army helicopters hovering near his Nashville-area mansion, as the Trump-supporting singer clapped and saluted.
"Fort Campbell leadership is aware of a video circulating on social media depicting AH-64 Apache helicopters operating in the vicinity of a private residence associated with Mr. Robert Ritchie (also known as ‘Kid Rock’),” Maj. Jonathon Bless, public affairs officer for the 101st Airborne Division, said in a statement to NewsChannel5 Nashville.
Officials at the base, which straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee border, have “initiated an investigation to review the circumstances surrounding this activity,” Bless added.
The fly-by took place near the musician’s mansion in the Nashville suburb of Whites Creek, a compound which reportedly contains a portion dubbed the “Southern White House.” A sign showing those words can be seen in the video from Kid Rock, above a replica Statue of Liberty.
On X, where the artist posted the clip on Saturday, Kid Rock also took aim at California Governor Gavin Newsom.
“This is a level of respect that s*** for brains Governor of California will never know,” Kid Rock wrote. “God Bless America and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend her.”
The Michigan-born singer is a close ally of President Donald Trump. He attracted headlines earlier this year for performing at Turning Point USA’s “All-American Halftime Show”, broadcast to compete with the NFL Super Bowl halftime show, which featured Puerto Rican star Bad Bunny. The selection outraged conservatives, who took issue with the artist’s past criticisms of President Trump and the fact that Bad Bunny performs in Spanish.
A 101st Airborne Division spokesman added in a statement to WSMV that the helicopters were not tied to a Saturday “No Kings” protest in Nashville, which drew thousands of participants. Two military helicopters were filmed flying near the demonstration.
“These helicopters were flying a route in the Nashville vicinity for training purposes,” a division spokesperson told the station. “Any association with the No Kings Rally also happening in Nashville that day is entirely coincidental.”
The Independent has contacted the U.S. Army and the 101st Airborne Division for comment.
The Trump administration has been accused of using the military and military-style technology for domestic political purposes over the last year.
Trump has given unusually partisan speeches with soldiers standing in the background, and the administration was accused of flying Predator Drones, autonomous aircraft typically associated with overseas U.S. wars, above anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles.
