California Governor Gavin Newsom did not hold back. When footage emerged of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and musician Kid Rock riding in US Army Apache attack helicopters out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, Newsom’s office went straight on the offensive, calling out what it described as a brazen misuse of military hardware at public expense during a cost of living crisis.
“Why are taxpayers paying to fly Kid Rock around on $100 million helicopters?” the Governor’s Press Office posted on social media Monday.
The flights, confirmed by the Pentagon, were filmed as promotional content for Kid Rock’s upcoming Freedom 250 tour and to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence ahead of July 4. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the army helicopters operated in the National Capital Region in support of what he described as a Freedom 250th community relations event, adding that the musician participated in troop visits and filmed videos for Memorial Day and America’s 250th birthday alongside the tour promotion.
The Apaches typically carry two pilots. Reporting indicated that one pilot was left behind on at least one of the flights to accommodate both Hegseth and Kid Rock as passengers, a detail that added to the controversy around the outing.
Newsom’s office escalated further on Tuesday, posting an AI-generated image depicting Hegseth in a helicopter with a bottle of Jack Daniels, looking dishevelled, with his name badge reading “SECDEF…SORTA” and a sign on the second helicopter reading “I love waste, fraud and abuse.” The image referenced longstanding claims about Hegseth’s relationship with alcohol that have followed him since before his confirmation hearings, including a December 2024 report that alleged he drank on the job at a veterans nonprofit he previously led. Hegseth acknowledged during his Senate confirmation process that he was not a perfect person but called the specific allegations anonymous smears.
Kid Rock addressed the Pentagon on April 27, though the subject of his remarks was not made clear in the footage shared publicly. He has pledged 1,000 free tickets to military personnel and veterans across the tour’s 10 dates running from May 1 to June 20.
The exchange is part of an ongoing feud between Newsom and Kid Rock that has played out publicly for months. Newsom’s press office had previously threatened to revoke the musician’s California residency, calling him a threat to the state’s eardrums. Last month, two Apache helicopters had appeared above Kid Rock’s Tennessee home in what appeared to be a separate gesture of military goodwill, with the singer filming the moment and saluting the pilots before posting it online with a caption criticising Newsom directly.
The helicopter episode arrives at an awkward moment for Hegseth, who has been managing a Pentagon under significant political scrutiny and has faced repeated questions about his judgment since taking the defence secretary role. Critics framing the outing as an example of the same waste, fraud, and abuse that the administration has publicly pledged to eliminate from government spending appear to have landed the contrast effectively enough that it has drawn days of coverage and social media engagement beyond what a promotional event would typically generate.
