Hegseth’s hunt for Charlie Kirk critics spans nearly 300 investigations – The Washington Post
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth makes remarks to an audience of U.S. Navy personnel ahead of an appearance by President Donald Trump at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia on Sunday. (Steve Helber / AP)
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Hegseth’s sprawling hunt for Charlie Kirk critics spans nearly 300 investigations
The inquiry, resulting in a smattering of disciplinary action so far, follows an extraordinary Pentagon directive aimed at silencing criticism of the slain activist and Trump supporter.
Updated, October 8, 2025 at 4:46 p.m. EDT, 17 minutes ago, 6 min
By Noah Robertson and Tara Copp
The Pentagon has investigated nearly 300 Defense Department employees, including service members, civilian workers and contractors, for comments appearing online after last month’s shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to documents reviewed by The Washington Post.
The sweeping, ongoing inquiry, which has resulted in a smattering of disciplinary action so far, follows an extraordinary directive by the department’s political leadership to silence criticism of a prominent, polarizing figure who was unabashed in his views and fervent support for President Donald Trump.
The order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to target those critical of Kirk, former defense officials and congressional Democrats say, reflects a deepening alarm over the former Fox News personality’s stewardship of the military, whose personnel are expected to remain loyal to the Constitution, not any one party or president.
Since taking office, Hegseth has routinely subverted those norms — saying as recently as last week that the nation’s generals and admirals should quit if they don’t support the Trump administration’s bid to impose what opponents say are regressive policies on the armed forces. Troops faced similar choices — get in line or get out — under the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, resulting in the dismissal of thousands.
Hegseth and his political staff have argued forcefully that speech celebrating or mocking the Turning Point USA founder’s death is itself an illicit partisan activity subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
“It’s a violation of the oath, it’s conduct unbecoming, it’s a betrayal of the Americans they’ve sworn to protect & dangerously incompatible with military service,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell wrote on social media last month. In a statement provided to The Post for this article, he emphasized the point, saying, “Those in our ranks who rejoice at an act of domestic terrorism are unfit to serve the American people.”Advertisement
Kirk’s death at age 31 set off a nationwide debate on political violence that was seized on by the Trump administration to villainize some left-leaning groups as terrorists — often while not acknowledging the violence that liberal public figures also have endured.
And even as he cracks down on commentary about Kirk’s death, Hegseth himself has appeared to condone similarly inappropriate remarks. Last year, before he was defense secretary, Hegseth grinned and joked along with a guest on Fox News about the vicious hammer attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of former House speaker Nancy Pelosi. He later composed himself and said, “We wish him well.”
Critics of the administration have decried what they say is its blatant hypocrisy, noting a refusal to condemn political violence on all sides. Opponents point to the president’s public silence earlier this year after Melissa Hortman, a leading Democratic lawmaker in Minnesota — Hegseth’s home state — was gunned down along with her husband in what authorities say was a targeted political assassination. Trump himself was twice targeted by would-be assassins during last year’s campaign.
Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.
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