Secretary Pete Hegseth, the head of the recently renamed Department of War, has warned that the department is “tracking” and “will address” any comments from military personnel or civilian employees that celebrate or mock Wednesday’s assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Newsweek contacted the Department of War for comment on Friday via email outside regular office hours.
Why It Matters
Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck at the campus of Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon.
The assassination has sparked not only a wave of condemnation from senior Republican and Democratic political figures but also mockery and celebration from a small number of social media users, triggering widespread outrage.
What To Know
On Thursday, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X: “It is unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American. The Department of War has zero tolerance for it.”
Hegseth shared the post, adding: “We are tracking all these very closely—and will address, immediately. Completely unacceptable.”
Neither Parnell nor Hegseth provided any specific examples of serving personnel who had reacted inappropriately to Kirk’s death.
The influential “Air Force amn/nco/snco” Facebook page, which covers the U.S. military and has 269,000 followers, shared a post from an anonymous contributor who asserted—also without providing specifics—that some military personnel had made posts celebrating Kirk’s murder.
The anonymous contributor wrote: “I have seen military members including senior enlisted, even E-9s [senior noncommissioned officers], posting heinous statements celebrating and justifying the death of Charlie Kirk. Think about that. Men and women entrusted with the highest enlisted ranks in our Air Force positions of mentorship and example openly glorifying a political assassination.
“This is extreme. This is disgraceful. And this demands accountability now. We’ve already seen civilians professors, deans, and others removed from their positions for making hateful public remarks.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaking during a 9/11 observance event in the courtyard of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on September 11 and an attendee draped in a U.S. flag during a candlelight vigil…
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaking during a 9/11 observance event in the courtyard of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on September 11 and an attendee draped in a U.S. flag during a candlelight vigil for Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in Seattle, Washington, on September 10.
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Win McNamee/David Ryder/Getty
While a small number of social media users celebrated Kirk’s assassination, Democratic leaders were vocal in their condemnation.
Former President Barack Obama wrote on X: “We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote: “I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah. Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family. Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
What People Are Saying
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan wrote on X: “I am aware of posts displaying contempt toward a fellow American who was assassinated. I want to be very clear: any uniformed or civilian employee of the Department of the Navy who acts in a manner that brings discredit upon the Department, the U.S. Navy or the U.S. Marines will be dealt with swiftly and decisively.”
Writer and podcaster Stephen Knight wrote on X: “Excuse-making and even open endorsement of violence in response to speech isn’t confined to clueless students. It runs through the so-called ‘liberal’ left at every level. It’s mainstream, and it’s shameful.
“Witnessing the grotesque reaction to Charlie Kirk’s murder will have changed decent people. Forever. The far-left has simply forced many reasonable people to wake up and pick a side. And it’s not going to be theirs.”
What Happens Next
On Friday, President Donald Trump said he believed a suspect in Kirk’s shooting was in custody, commenting, “I think with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody.”
Authorities have since identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspect.