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| Pete Hegseth |
Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of War, has stated that the Pentagon is "tracking" military service members and civilian employees who are celebrating or mocking the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Hegseth's comments came in response to a statement by chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, who said the Department of War has a "zero tolerance" policy for such behavior.
Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, while speaking at a debate on the campus of Utah Valley University. The shooting has been widely condemned by political figures from across the political spectrum, but a number of social media users have posted comments celebrating or mocking his death.
In the wake of the assassination, social media posts from a U.S. Marine Corps recruiter and other military personnel have drawn criticism from conservative influencers. In one instance, a Marine was fired from his recruiting duties over a post that said, "Another racist man popped." The secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force have all issued similar warnings to their personnel, emphasizing that inappropriate comments will be met with "swift and decisive" action.
The suspect in the shooting, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested on Thursday. Authorities have said the shooting was a "targeted attack" and that Robinson had become "more political in recent years." Messages allegedly sent by Robinson on a messaging app referenced a rifle and contained inscriptions for bullet casings, one of which read, "Hey fascist! Catch!"
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