Your tax dollars has just taken Kid Rock on a 10-minute Apache helicopter ‘joyride’ while Pete Hegseth called him a ‘patriot’

Kid Rock, the pro-Trump rock star, was recently spotted flying in the gunner’s seat of an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter provided by the US military. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth joined him for the 10-minute flight, which took place on a Monday afternoon. The incident has left many taxpayers wondering whether they paid for it.

Pentagon officials said the flight was part of preparations for America’s 250th birthday celebration in July, though it remains unclear if taxpayer money was used to fund the trip. The AH-64 Apache is one of the US military’s most powerful attack helicopters, usually equipped with a 30mm nose-mounted auto-cannon and anti-tank missiles, with each unit estimated to cost tens of millions of dollars, reports The Independent.

Hegseth and Kid Rock reportedly took turns flying the helicopter from Fort Belvoir, near Washington D.C. Hegseth shared a photo of the two men posing in front of the Apache on social media. “Joined my friend Kid Rock, and some of our great U.S. Army Apache pilots, for a ride this morning,” Hegseth wrote on X, calling Kid Rock “a patriot and a huge supporter of our troops.”

Taxpayer-funded military joyrides for celebrities are becoming a pattern worth scrutinizing

This was not the first time Kid Rock had been linked to a controversy involving the US military. In March, two US Army helicopter crews were suspended and then reinstated within hours after flying near Kid Rock’s home in Nashville, according to BBC. The crews flew near the musician’s home as a tribute, and Kid Rock called it a “helicopter performance” and a “gift” in an Instagram video posted by his manager, Cory Gierman.

In that video, Kid Rock said, “I stood by the swimming pool to return the gesture, and I filmed it and I posted it online because I wanted to tell those hypocrites that this is what America should look like.” After the suspension was lifted, Hegseth stated, “No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.”

The US Army confirmed that two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell conducted a flight on March 28 in the Nashville area, where Kid Rock lives and owns two restaurants.

The latest joyride sparked criticism from Democrats. California Governor Gavin Newsom questioned, “Why are taxpayers paying to fly Kid Rock around on $100 million helicopters?” The White House, the Department of Defense, and Kid Rock’s agent all refused to comment on who paid for the flight. Hegseth has faced a string of controversies in his role, including firing top Pentagon officials who were said to have gone behind his back to speak with Trump.

Kid Rock has been a long-time and vocal supporter of President Donald Trump. He performed at the Republican National Convention in 2024 and has previously performed for troops at Fort Campbell and overseas. He has also told local news outlets that he has a friendly relationship with the military pilots who fly near his home.

The incident has raised broader questions about the use of military equipment and resources to support celebrities and high-profile figures. Critics have also pointed to the church influencing spiritual operations at the Pentagon as another sign of Hegseth’s controversial leadership style. As the US military faces budget pressures, questions about whether such activities are an appropriate use of public funds are likely to remain a topic of debate going forward.