Department of Defense “Tracking” Social Media Posts from Service Members and Civilians Celebrating the Conservative Leader’s Death
Pentagon officials are actively monitoring an alarming wave of public celebrations over the assassination of conservative leader Charlie Kirk and are weighing action against any military members or department personnel involved.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, along with multiple other military and department leaders, said the department is “tracking” celebrations of Kirk’s death among personnel and promised the issue will be “addressed immediately.”
The statements come in the wake of the assassination, which saw a torrent of left-leaning users on platforms like X, BlueSky, and TikTok openly cheering the murder, with several accounts allegedly tied to military personnel.
READ: University Of Michigan Professor: Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Is A ‘Solution’ To ‘Violent Rhetoric’
“It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American,” Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a post on X. “The Department of War has zero tolerance for it.”
Kirk, 31, was killed on September 10th by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson during an event at Utah Valley University (UVU). Authorities say Robinson allegedly engraved multiple “antifascist” and leftist messages on bullet casings found by law enforcement, as revealed by Utah Governor Spencer Cox at a press conference on Friday.
A family member told authorities that Robinson had “become more political in recent years” and was “full of hate,” Cox said. The relative alleged that Robinson had discussed Kirk’s upcoming speaking engagement at UVU and his intense dislike for him.
READ: Fired Assistant Dean At A Tennessee University Had “Zero Sympathy” For Charlie Kirk’s Death
Secretary Hegseth said on X that the Department of Defense is “tracking” celebratory commentary on the murder, calling it “completely unacceptable.” Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll added that posts which “celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American are inconsistent with Army values.”
It remains unclear what reprimands are being considered for service members who cheered on Kirk’s death, or whether discharges are among the potential punishments. The military’s Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and department regulations address a range of behaviors, and officials have not yet specified which statutes or policies might apply to this situation.
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