The U.S. Navy Blue Angels' low pass over Pensacola Beach on Wednesday generated significant attention, drawing large crowds and sparking commentary from political figures on social media. Video shared online captured beachgoers cheering as the demonstration jets flew over.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was among those who responded on X, stating, "The flyovers will continue until morale improves." Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell shared a photo of the event, writing, "Carry on Patriots." Eric Trump also commented on X, criticizing what he called "manufactured outrage by the low-T mainstream media" and calling the flyover "undoubtedly the highlight of these people's day."
The flyover occurred during the annual "Breakfast with the Blues" event, which marks the start of Red, White and Blues Week and allows spectators to watch the flight demonstration squadron practice over the Gulf Coast. Local reports indicated that this year's event saw one of its largest crowds in recent memory, with parking areas filling early and thousands lining the beach to watch the two-hour practice session ahead of the weekend's air show.
Longtime attendees noted the unusually large turnout. Brenda Bennett, who has attended the event since 1997, told a local newspaper that the crowd was larger than she had ever seen. Other attendees, Theresa Smith and Sheri Marinovich, noted that while they had to park farther away due to the crowds, the experience was worthwhile. They described the pilots as "showing out" and putting on a show for the breakfast crowd, with the jets appearing closer and performing different maneuvers than those seen in the main air show.
Navy officials confirmed to ABC News 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 requests for comment from Fox News Digital.
Some spectators expressed that the event felt particularly meaningful following recent national celebrations, with Bennett hoping for continued celebrations of American freedom. The Blue Angels are scheduled to hold further practices on Thursday before public performances on Friday and Saturday.