Kid Rock kicked off the first show of his Freedom 250 Tour in Dallas with a pre-show hype video featuring himself and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth riding in twin Apache helicopters.
The video opens with Rock touching down at an airport on a private jet. As he steps onto the tarmac, he’s greeted by Hegseth. After a familiar bro hug, Rock asks Hegseth, “Mr. Secretary, what are you doing here, sir?” Hegseth replies, “I’m going to your show tonight!” Rock then exclaims, “Awesome! Jump in, I’ll give you a ride.” Hegseth then says, “Well, I appreciate that. But, how about I give you a ride?” The video then cuts to two Apache helicopters whirling up. Rock throws his hands in the air in excitement. He then shares a triumphant high five with Hegseth before they board the choppers.
Rock’s intro video is a nod to a brief controversy he and Hegseth faced in late March after the country star shared videos on his social media of two Apache helicopters flying by his Nashville residence. The army opened an inquiry into the flyby to assess the legality of the demonstration, and the crew members involved were suspended. Hegseth reversed the decision days later. He wrote on X at the time, “No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.”
In a video shared to X in late April, Rock said that the Freedom 250 Tour was “all about celebrating America” and “250 years of freedom.” He also teased that he “may be coming to each show in an Apache helicopter, which should send far-left liberals into complete breakdown in tears.”
Rock has long been an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump and his administration. He briefly became a symbol of the MAGA movement by headlining Turning Point USA’s “All American Halftime Show,” which was produced as counterprogramming to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance.
Source: variety.com
