Secretary of War Pete Hegseth just sent a clear message to some military personnel undeserving of wearing the uniform.
It wasn’t the message most people expected.
And Pentagon brass has launched an investigation after Charlie Kirk’s assassination into awful actions of uniformed personnel that will leave conservatives fuming.
Secretary of War investigates 300 military personnel for Kirk comments
The Pentagon is conducting investigations into close to 300 Defense Department employees for online comments they allegedly made after the September 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, according to The Washington Post.
The probe includes service members, civilian workers, and contractors who made remarks about Kirk’s murder on social media and other platforms.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the investigations as part of what his office calls efforts to maintain military discipline and non-partisan conduct within the ranks.
Some investigations have already resulted in disciplinary action as the Pentagon attempts to address what Hegseth’s staff describes as "illicit partisan activity subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination."
As of September 30, 128 service members were under investigation, with 26 receiving administrative reprimands, three receiving nonjudicial punishment, and three others leaving or being removed from the military.
Another 158 non-uniformed personnel were investigated, with two "removed from employment."
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the crackdown in a September social media post, writing that celebrating Kirk’s death represents "a violation of the oath, it’s conduct unbecoming, it’s a betrayal of the Americans they’ve sworn to protect & dangerously incompatible with military service."
"Those in our ranks who rejoice at an act of domestic terrorism are unfit to serve the American people," Parnell reiterated to The Post.
The investigations come just a week after Hegseth told generals and admirals they should resign if they don’t support the Trump administration’s policies – a stark contrast to the Biden era when thousands of service members were dismissed over COVID vaccine mandates.
Democrats cry foul over Pentagon loyalty standards
Former defense officials and congressional Democrats have criticized Hegseth’s directive, claiming it signals concerns about his leadership approach.
They argue that military personnel should "remain loyal to the Constitution, not any one party or president," according to the Post report.
But that argument rings hollow when you consider what Democrats stayed silent about during the Biden years.
The same crowd raising alarm bells about Hegseth’s leadership had no problem when the previous administration dismissed thousands of service members for refusing experimental COVID shots.
Where was their concern about constitutional loyalty when Biden’s Pentagon was purging conservatives and conducting "extremism" training that targeted anyone who questioned progressive orthodoxy?
The timing of this criticism isn’t coincidental either.
Democrats and their allies in the defense establishment are scrambling to undermine Trump’s team at every turn, and Hegseth represents everything they despise about the new administration.
What this really reveals about military culture wars
Strip away the political posturing and you get to the heart of what’s really happening here.
The Pentagon probe isn’t just about enforcing military discipline – it’s about the broader battle for control over America’s military culture.
For years under Obama and Biden, the defense establishment pushed progressive ideology through "diversity and inclusion" training, climate change initiatives, and social justice programming.
Conservative service members watched helplessly as their military was transformed into a vehicle for left-wing political messaging.
Now Trump’s team is trying to reverse that transformation, and the entrenched bureaucracy is fighting back at every level.
The Charlie Kirk assassination gave both sides a moment to draw clear lines about what kind of political expression is acceptable in uniform.
Trump’s Pentagon wants to eliminate partisan political commentary entirely – at least officially.
But here’s what they’re not telling you: this investigation is also a loyalty test to the Constitution.
Hegseth is identifying which personnel celebrated the murder of a Trump ally.
The mainstream media will call it a political "purge" when this is about identifying the type of people you can’t afford in the armed services of a constitutional republic – namely the kind who will launch mutinies and coup plots.
Because if you’ll celebrate it, odds are you’re not very far from participating in it.
For patriotic Americans who’ve watched the military drift leftward for years, Hegseth’s crackdown represents long-overdue accountability.
These aren’t subtle policy disagreements we’re talking about – these are military personnel celebrating political assassination.
Any service member who thinks murdering a political figure is worth cheering doesn’t belong in uniform, period.
¹ Sandra Rhodes, "Pentagon Probes 300 for Comments After Charlie Kirk Assassination: Report," National File, October 9, 2025.
² Tara Copp and Alex Horton, "Hegseth’s sprawling hunt for Charlie Kirk critics spans nearly 300 investigations," The Washington Post, October 8, 2025.
³ Sean Parnell, Twitter post, September 2025.
⁴ Ibid.
