Defense Secretary Hegseth praises Blue Angels flyover that endangered beachgoers

Published Jul 16, 03:26 PM UTC

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly endorsed a U.S. Navy Blue Angels flyover in Pensacola, Florida, that flew dangerously low over a beach, sending sand, tents, and umbrellas airborne and causing beachgoers to scream and scramble for cover. The Navy acknowledged the jet flew lower than standard profiles and launched a safety review. Former Representative Adam Kinzinger and an ABC reporter criticized the maneuver as unsafe and uncharacteristic. Hegseth responded on social media with 'The flyovers will continue until morale improves' and retweeted posts overlaying the incident video with patriotic slogans. The article notes Hegseth's pattern of overturning safety reviews for military flyovers, including a July incident with South Carolina Army National Guard pilots and a previous incident involving a Kid Rock performance.