U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a briefing held with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine (not pictured), amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 31, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth caught heat from political analysts and observers on Tuesday after he created another "acute crisis" within the Trump administration.
Hegseth announced on X that he was lifting the suspension for a pilot crew that flew an Apache helicopter near MAGA musician Kid Rock's home in Nashville, Tennessee, over the weekend. On Tuesday, multiple news outlets reported that the pilot crew was suspended pending further investigation.
During a press conference in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump said he would "look at" the suspension, and suggested that the pilots may have been defending Kid Rock because they like him.
"No punishment. No investigation," Hegseth wrote on X.
Political analysts and observers bashed Hegseth after the statement was released.
"Pete Hegseth is a disgrace," retired Navy intel officer Travis Akers posted on X.
"Helicopter gunships were used to intimidate a No Kings protest," military veteran John Jackson posted on X. "In violation of multiple DoD regulations, federal laws, and the First Amendment. Now Hegseth is immunizing this behavior. While they're trying to steal an election. This is an acute crisis. America won't take it."
"Of course, he overruled the Army. Because helicopters are toys," Tom Nichols, staff writer at The Atlantic, posted on X.
"The U.S. military is supposed to be apolitical, loyal to the U.S. Constitution and independent of any party or political movement," Idrees Ali, national security correspondent for Reuters, posted on X.
"'Standards,'" Jim LaPorta, national security coordinating producer at CBS News, posted on X.
"Had to check to make sure this isn’t a parody account," journalist Ryan Grim posted on X.