Watchdog group calls for ethics investigation into military flyover at Nashville ‘No Kings,’ Kid Rock’s home

What This Story Is About

• A government watchdog group has requested a federal ethics investigation to explain why two military helicopters were seen flying over a Nashville “No Kings” rally and musician Kid Rock’s Tennessee home on Saturday.

Why It Matters

• The flyovers drew national attention as protesters and Kid Rock posted images of them flying low, prompting a short-lived military review that was ultimately halted by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

What Happens Next

• The Office of Inspector General will review CREW’s response and can choose whether they want to open an investigation into the complaint.

For Context

• Amid the review, the AP confirmed that two pilots were suspended. They were quickly reinstated, however, following Hegseth’s intervention.

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) - A national watchdog organization has filed a formal complaint requesting the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General conduct an ethics investigation into two military helicopter flyovers in Nashville over the weekend.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) said it is asking for a federal investigation after Army helicopters were spotted on Saturday flying close to a large group of protesters in downtown Nashville and separately outside of musician Kid Rock’s Midstate home.

The watchdog group says their presence appears to have been intentional, pointing to Kid Rock’s close relationship with Pres. Donald Trump and the “No Kings” rally’s objective to protest the Trump administration.

“The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General should investigate DOD officials for using a military helicopter to fly over a local “No Kings” protest and near the home of musician and Trump ally Kid Rock for what appeared to be a staged political stunt, according to a CREW complaint," a press release from CREW said.

‘Review’ started, quickly halted after choppers spotted at ‘No Kings’ rally and Kid Rock’s home

A protester who attended the weekend rally sent a picture of one of the helicopters and said it was too low and felt “deliberate.” In the wake of the sightings, a spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Fort Campbell said leadership was investigating the video of the AH-64 Apache helicopters.

Fort Campbell told WSMV at the time that the helicopters seen above the protest were flying a route “for training purposes” and that the route being near the protest “is entirely coincidental.”

Later, the 101st Airborne Division spokesperson amended their statement, saying it wasn’t an investigation but instead a “review.” The pilots in the choppers were also suspended amid pushes from the public for answers.

But that review and was short-lived.

The same day the pilots were suspended, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered them to be re-instated and any review of Saturday’s flyovers to halt.

CREW asks DOD inspector general’s office to look into if there were ‘political reasons’ for intervention

CREW is asking the DOD inspector general’s office to investigate if the flyovers “violated any federal or DOD rules including ethics rules, how much taxpayer money was spent and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s decision to reverse Army personnel’s suspension.”

CREW said that Hegseth’s decision was a “choice to undermine the investigative process and potential discipline for apparently political reasons” and said that such a decision was dangerous with U.S. servicemembers engaged in conflict abroad.

“Kid Rock has long enjoyed a personal relationship with Trump, and since voicing his support of Trump in 2016, has played at numerous events for Trump and his allies — including the 2024 Republican National Convention and his second presidential inauguration,“ CREW said. ”Kid Rock’s social media post that Hegseth reposted included political rhetoric directed at the governor of California, a common target for Trump."

“Especially given the ongoing war with Iran, the military should assure the American people that they are using taxpayer-funded resources responsibly and not for partisan or illegal purposes,” the group added. “Hegseth’s swift reversal of the decision to suspend the flight crew sends a dangerous message that military personnel can violate orders if it serves the interests of political leadership.”

See the full complaint here.

What happens next?

The Office of the Inspector General acts independently from the Department of Defense to “promote the economy, efficiency, and effectiveness of DoD programs, and the integrity of its workforce and operations, through impactful audits, evaluations, investigations, and reviews.”

“The conclusions we reach and the recommendations we issue are grounded in evidence and free from external influence,” its website states.

There is no statutory timeline in which the IG has to review and make a decision on its formal next steps on CREW’s complaint. But the IG typically has an intake process where they look at a complaint’s jurisdiction to see if an investigation falls under their authority and whether there is credible specific enough claims to move forward. That process usually takes about 30 days.

If it passes intake, the office will launch a preliminary inquiry to determine if there is reasonable evidence of misconduct and whether the department had a legal duty to investigate and failed to act. During this process, which usually takes about 90 days, IG may request documents and evidence from the DOD.

If the inquiry bears fruit, the office may open a full investigation. If their investigators uncover any misconduct or wrongdoing, they will send a referral with their report to Congress for action. However, the inspector general’s office can decline to look any further and close their review at any time of they see no specific or credible claim of misconduct. That can happen at intake, inquiry or formal review level.