Hegseth Is Really Going After Charlie Kirk's Detractors

The Pentagon has launched nearly 300 investigations into Defense Department personnel—including service members, civilian staff, and contractors—for their online comments following the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The sweeping probe, described in internal documents and reported by the Washington Post, follows a directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth aimed at curbing criticism of Kirk, who was known for his strong support of President Trump.

The department argues that celebrating or mocking Kirk's death online amounts to unacceptable political activity and has disciplined several individuals so far, ranging from administrative reprimands to termination. As of late September, 128 service members had been investigated, with most of those cases still under review; 26 have so far been reprimanded, with a handful facing harsher consequences. Another 158 nonuniformed staffers have also faced scrutiny, with two dismissed.

Hegseth's directive has drawn criticism from those who say it blurs the line between military loyalty to the Constitution and political loyalty to an administration. The secretary has previously said generals who don't back Trump's agenda should resign. Such a "witch hunt" is "extremely dangerous," Southwestern Law School professor Rachel VanLandingham tells the Hill. Critics also point out what they view as hypocrisy, given Hegseth's past willingness to joke about violence against liberal figures and the administration's selective outrage about attacks, per the Post.

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A retired Army officer and attorney tells Politico that he expects more firings, drawing comparisons to how some troops were terminated after making racially insensitive comments after the killing of George Floyd. "I can see that same prism being used in the reverse against people who engaged in comments against Charlie Kirk," he notes. The Pentagon insists its approach is consistent with the military's restrictions on partisan speech, though it faces scrutiny over whether it will apply those rules evenly. As investigations continue, legal experts note that while military law does restrict certain types of speech, prosecutions are rare, and the current scale of discipline is unusual.