Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said the Blue Angels’ post-flight debrief had been completed and that no one would be disciplined after the team’s unusually low flyover over a Florida beach drew intense attention online. Cao said there would be no reprimands or dismissals, adding that there was “no problem” with the maneuver.
After videos of the dramatic pass spread widely on social media Thursday, Cao posted on X: “That’s the sound of Freedom! Semper fi and Hooyah.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and several Trump allies also joined the conversation online, defending the Blue Angels flyover as criticism and praise poured in.
Footage shared across social platforms showed beachgoers applauding and cheering Wednesday as two Blue Angels jets from the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron roared low over Pensacola Beach. The reaction was sharply divided: some viewers celebrated the beach flyover and said they wished they had witnessed it in person, while others questioned the safety and judgment behind the stunt.
Video posted online captured beachgoers cheering as two Blue Angels jets swept low over Pensacola Beach on Wednesday. (Partridge Drones via Facebook)
Hegseth, for his part, wrote on X: “The flyovers will continue until morale improves.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell also weighed in, sharing an image of one of the aircraft during the Pensacola Beach maneuver and adding, “Carry on Patriots.”
Eric Trump responded as well, reposting an ABC News report on X and writing, “Can’t stand the manufactured outrage by the low-T mainstream media. This was undoubtedly the highlight of these people’s day…”
The ABC News report Eric Trump shared said Navy officials confirmed in a statement to the outlet that Blue Angels leadership is “reviewing the circumstances surrounding the maneuver and conducting a thorough safety review.”
The Blue Angels did not immediately respond to INC News’s request for comment.
A Blue Angels jet conducts a low pass over Pensacola Beach on Wednesday. (Partridge Drones via Facebook)
The flyover came during Wednesday morning’s annual “Breakfast with the Blues” event, which marks the start of Red, White and Blues Week and gives spectators a chance to watch the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron practice over the Gulf Coast.
Local news outlet WALA-TV reported that this year’s event drew one of its largest crowds in recent memory, with the Casino Beach and Quietwater parking lots filling by about 7 a.m. Thousands lined the beach as the Blue Angels spent about two hours practicing ahead of this weekend’s air show.
Brenda Bennett, who has attended the event for decades, told the newspaper she had never seen a crowd this large.
“I’ve been coming since 1997 and this is the best kept secret, but I think the secret’s out because there’s more people here than normally,” Bennett said.
Video shared online showed beachgoers cheering as a Blue Angels jet made a low pass over Pensacola Beach on Wednesday. (Partridge Drones via Facebook)
Theresa Smith and Sheri Marinovich said they had to park farther away than usual because of the crowds but said the extra walk was worth it.
“They’re showing out,” the pair told the newspaper. “They love to put on a show for the breakfast crowd. You feel like they’re just so much closer and we get to hear them talking on the radio and they do different maneuvers than they do for the show.”
People gathered at Pensacola Beach to photograph and video Blue Angels jets conducting a flyover on Wednesday. (Partridge Drones via Facebook)
Many spectators told the outlet the event felt especially meaningful following the recent America 250 celebrations. Bennett said she hopes Americans continue celebrating “our freedom that we have here in the United States.”
The Blue Angels are scheduled to practice again Thursday before public performances Friday and Saturday.
