Gen. Christopher LaNeve told Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George that Pete Hegseth did not want the Army's investigation to proceed, three people told The Washington Post. George came away troubled. Hegseth fired him weeks later, on April 2, and gave no explanation.
Sean Parnell, Hegseth's spokesman, called the report "a tired, old story" and said LaNeve "has the complete and total trust of Secretary Hegseth."
He does not deny the conversation.
Two Apache crews from Fort Campbell started all of it. On March 28 they flew over Kid Rock's Tennessee home, and flight-tracker data shows the same aircraft dropping to 625 feet and circling a "No Kings" protest in Clarksville that afternoon. Hegseth ended the inquiry and told the crews: "Carry on, Patriots." He later flew with Kid Rock in Apaches out of Fort Belvoir.
The Army has had no confirmed Chief of Staff since April. Active-duty four-star generals have fallen from ten to five since January 2025.
