The Pentagon and senior service leaders opened investigations after members of the U.S. military posted comments on social media that appeared to mock the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Officials said the posts — shared in the hours after Kirk was shot at a Utah university on Wednesday — violated expectations for conduct by uniformed personnel and would be addressed swiftly.
A Marine has been relieved of recruiting duties and is under investigation after sharing a Kirk-related message on an Instagram story, Capt. Austin Gallegos, a spokesperson for the Marine Corps' Western Recruiting Region, told Task & Purpose. The post read, "Another racist man popped," accompanied by a clinking-beer emoji, according to the report. Marine Corps leadership said the post did not align with the service’s core values and that the matter was being taken seriously.
The Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, Sean Parnell, said in a social media post Thursday that it is intolerable for military personnel "to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American." Pete Hegseth — identified in reporting as the secretary of war — echoed that stance, writing that officials were "tracking all these very closely — and will address, immediately," and calling the behavior "completely unacceptable."
The Navy’s senior civilian official, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, said he was aware of posts displaying contempt toward Kirk and warned that 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 U.S. Marine Corps "will be dealt with swiftly and decisively." The Marine Corps operates under the Department of the Navy.
A female Army soldier also faced scrutiny after a social media post referencing Kirk. Her initial message — which was widely circulated online and criticized by conservative commentators — prompted an apology in which she said her comment had been misconstrued as a call to violence or as representing the Department of Defense. "These views are not representative of the DOD," she wrote. A U.S. Army spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment about whether she was the subject of an investigation.
Kirk founded the conservative campus-outreach organization Turning Point USA. His death was widely shared and discussed on social media, prompting a surge of heated commentary. The killing comes in a year that has also seen other deadly attacks on elected officials and political figures, and it has intensified partisan scrutiny of online posts that appear to celebrate or trivialize political violence.
Conservative activists and commentators moved quickly to publicize and seek consequences for those who posted mocking remarks. Laura Loomer, a prominent right-wing activist, said she had been contacting employers to pursue firings of individuals who posted anti-Kirk comments since his death was announced.
Service leaders said investigations were ongoing and that potential disciplinary measures would follow the fact-finding process. The Pentagon and individual services have rules governing the political activity and public statements of military personnel, and leaders emphasized that celebratory or mocking responses to the killing of an American would not be tolerated.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of Kirk’s death, and the inquiries into the social media posts remain active as military and civilian officials review whether additional action is warranted.