NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The crews of two AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to Kid Rock's swimming pool while he clapped and saluted on Saturday have been suspended from flying pending a investigation of their actions, a U.S. Army spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The suspension is a discretionary, but not unusual, step when an investigation is underway, Maj. Montrell Russell said.
“The Army has confirmed that on March 28, two Apache helicopters from the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell conducted a flight in the Nashville area that has attracted public and media attention," according to a statement from the Army on Tuesday. The Army is reviewing "the circumstances surrounding the mission, including compliance with relevant FAA regulations, aviation safety protocol, and approval requirements."
Kid Rock, an entertainer who is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, told WKRN-TV on Monday that it's not uncommon for helicopters from nearby Fort Campbell to fly near his home. He said he is a big supporter of the military and he's performed for troops overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries.
“I think they know this is a pretty friendly spot,” he said. He noted that last Thanksgiving he was at Fort Campbell, a sprawling Army base on the Tennessee-Kentucky border, with Vice President JD Vance. “I've talked to some of these pilots. I've told them, ‘You guys see me waving when you come by the house?' I’m like, ‘You guys are always welcome to cruise by my house, any time,’” he said.
Kid Rock posted two short videos on social media Saturday. Each shows a helicopter hovering alongside his swimming pool while the entertainer claps, salutes and raises his fist in the air. One post included a caption by Kid Rock disparaging Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent Trump critic.
Speaking at the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump suggested maybe the crews shouldn’t have done it before adding, “I like Kid Rock, maybe they were trying to defend him, I don’t know.”
In the videos, Kid Rock stands next to a replica of the Statue of Liberty and a sign by the pool that reads, “The Southern White House.” His home on a hill overlooking Nashville was built to resemble the White House.
The helicopters were on a training mission when they stopped by Kid Rock's house, said Maj. Jonathon Bless, public affairs officer for the 101st Airborne Division. The helicopters also flew over a “No Kings” protest against Trump in downtown Nashville, but Bless said their presence had nothing to do with the protest.
Kid Rock said he thought it was “really cool” that they stopped to hover at his house.
“If it makes their day a little brighter for their service to our country, protecting us, I think that’s a great thing," he said.
Asked about possible repercussions for the crews, he said, “I think they’re going to be all right. My buddy’s the commander in chief.”
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Associated Press reporter Collin Binkley contributed to this story from Washington, D.C.
FILE - A military helicopter flies over a No Kings protest Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
FILE - Kid Rock comes on stage to speak and introduce Vice President JD Vance during a visit to Fort Campbell, Ky., Nov. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/John Amis, File)
One of soccer’s historic powers has reached a once-unfathomable low.
Four-time champion Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup after getting beat in a penalty shootout with 10 men at 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoffs on Tuesday.
Moise Kean scored early on for Italy but then Azzurri center back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break and Bosnia substitute Haris Tabakovic equalized in the 79th to send the game into extra time at 1-1.
The defeat added more misery for Italy’s once-proud national team after being eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia, respectively, in the qualifying playoffs for the last two World Cups.
“It’s too easy to say what’s working and what’s not working,” Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso said. “The fact is that Italy has failed to qualify for three World Cups. We’re having a tough time achieving our goals, both with the national team and with our clubs.”
Bosnia won the shootout 4-1 and qualified for the first time since 2014 — its only previous appearance.
In the shootout, Pio Esposito and Bryan Cristante missed their spot kicks and U.S.-born Esmir Bajraktarević converted the decisive penalty for Bosnia.
“We still don’t believe it — that we’re out and that it happened in this manner,” Italy defender Leonardo Spinazzola said. “It’s upsetting for everyone. For us, for our families, and for all the kids who have never seen Italy at a World Cup.”
In Tuesday’s other European playoff finals, Sweden, Turkey and the Czech Republic each qualified. Sweden beat Poland 3-2; Turkey beat Kosovo 1-0; and the Czechs beat Denmark in a shootout.
Italy's latest ouster means that the 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006 champions will go at least 16 years without even playing a match at soccer’s biggest event.
Italy’s World Cup struggles go back all the way to 2010 and 2014, having failed to advance from its group on both occasions. Although the Azzurri did win the European Championship in 2021.
Italy’s last World Cup knockout match was when it won the title in 2006 by beating France in a penalty shootout.
“We realize we're in a huge crisis,” Italian soccer federation president Gabriele Gravina said.
The only other World Cup that Italy did not qualify for was in 1958.
An entire generation — basically anyone under 15 — has no memory of the last time Italy played in the World Cup: An elimination loss to Uruguay in 2014 in Brazil remembered for Luis Suarez’s bite of Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder.
None of Italy’s current players have participated in a World Cup finals.
The defeat will raise questions about the status of Gattuso, who took over from the fired Luciano Spalletti in June with the squad already in crisis mode following a defeat at Norway in its opening qualifier.
The Azzurri then went on a six-match winning streak before losing again to Norway in November to finish second in their group and end up in the playoffs again.
Gattuso’s Italy overcame a nervy scoreless first half to beat Northern Ireland 2-0 at home in last week’s playoff semifinals. But the Azzurri struggled even more against Bosnia inside the intimate but imposing 14,000-seat Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica, which is surrounded by apartment towers overlooking the field.
“I want to personally apologize since we didn’t make it,” Gattuso said. “Today talking about my future is not important. Today it was important to get to the World Cup.”
On paper, it was a massive mismatch between 12th-ranked Italy and Bosnia, which is ranked 54 places below the Azzurri by FIFA.
Italy has a population of nearly 60 million. Bosnia’s is about 3.5 million.
The combined club salaries of Italy’s players total nearly 1 billion euros ($1 million). Bosnia’s total is a seventh of that.
Bajraktarević, who had the winning penalty, was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. He made his U.S. debut in a January 2024 friendly against Slovenia and then switched affiliation that August.
Viktor Gyokeres has sent Sweden back to the World Cup.
The Arsenal striker scored in the 88th minute to earn the Swedes a 3-2 win over Poland, five days after netting a hat trick in the playoff semifinal victory over Ukraine.
Poland great Robert Lewandowski, at age 37, was hoping to qualify for what would likely have been his final World Cup.
Former Chelsea and West Ham coach Graham Potter was hired by Sweden last year — initially on a short-term deal — with one goal: to get the team to the World Cup. He has succeeded.
Sweden reached the quarterfinals in its last World Cup appearance, in 2018.
Turkey will be in the United States’ group at the World Cup after winning 1-0 at Kosovo to reach soccer’s biggest stage for the first time since 2002.
The hosts were hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, fewer than 10 years since the national team was out of the international soccer family.
It was in May 2016 that Kosovo and Gibraltar were voted into FIFA as its 210th and 211th member federations. That was eight years after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.
Kosovo had the best chance of an entertaining first half but Turkey goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır pulled off a superb one-handed save to push Fisnik Asllani’s strike onto the crossbar.
Turkey got the breakthrough eight minutes into the second half. Kerem Aktürkoğlu got finest of touches to ensure Orkun Kökçü’s cross-shot went into the far bottom corner.
Turkey joins the U.S. in Group D, along with Paraguay and Australia.
The Czech Republic reached its first World Cup since 2006 with a penalty shootout victory over Denmark following a 2-2 draw.
Michal Sadilek converted the winning spotkick in the 3-1 penalty shootout success. It was the Czech Republic’s second straight victory on penalties after also prevailing on spotkicks against Ireland in the semifinal.
The Czech Republic will face co-hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A.
AP Sports Writers Daniella Matar and Steve Douglas contributed to this report.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Bosnia's coach Sergej Barbarez is chaired aloft as he celebrates after winning a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Italy's Pio Esposito reacts after missing a penalty kick during a World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Italy's coach Gennaro Gattuso walks off the pitch after losing in a World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma walks off the pitch after losing in a World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Italy's Pio Esposito reacts during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Italy players react during a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Bosnian fans celebrate after Haris Tabakovic scored his side's first goal during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Bosnia's Ermedin Demirovic celebrates after Bosnia's Haris Tabakovic scored his side's first goal during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Italy's Francesco Pio Esposito reacts during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Turkey's players celebrate after winning the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Kosovo and Turkey in Pristina, Kosovo, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)
Poland's Przemyslaw Wisniewski, left, and Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres during a World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Sweden and Poland in Stockholm, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Jonas Ekstromer/TT via AP)
Bosnia supporters light flares as they watch from an apartment building just outside the stadium during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Italy's Moise Kean, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Bosnia's Ermedin Demirovic celebrates after Bosnia's Haris Tabakovic scored his side's first goal during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Italy's coach Gennaro Gattuso directs his team during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Referee Clement Turpin shows a red card to Italy's Alessandro Bastoni (21) during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. . (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso walks on the pitch ahead of Tuesday's World Cup playoff final soccer match against Bosnia, at the Bilino Polje stadium, in Zenica, Bosnia, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
From left to right, Italy's Matteo Politano, Leonardo Spinazzola, and Manuel Locatelli walk on the pitch ahead of Tuesday's World Cup playoff final soccer match against Bosnia, at the Bilino Polje stadium, in Zenica, Bosnia, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Bosnia's captain Edin Dzeko gestures during the training session ahead of the World Cup playoff final soccer match against Italy, at the Butmir training centre, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Italy's Marco Palestra, right, walks on the pitch ahead of Tuesday's World Cup playoff final soccer match against Bosnia, at the Bilino Polje stadium, in Zenica, Bosnia, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
Italy's head coach Gennaro Gattuso listens to the questions of journalists during the press conference ahead of the World Cup playoff final soccer match against Bosnia in Zenica, Bosnia, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)
