Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll says unit commanders will investigate service members’ insulting social media posts about last week’s slaying of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as a violation of Army norms.
“Any soldier that is celebrating the assassination of a fellow American, particularly when they are engaged in political speech, is just not following Army values,” Mr. Driscoll told The Washington Times on Wednesday. “The Army is taking this very seriously.”
Several military personnel have reportedly posted disparaging remarks about Mr. Kirk amid a wave of online criticisms and harsh comments among various businesses, often resulting in the suspension or termination of the posters’ employment.
The messages have prompted quick condemnation from senior leaders at the Pentagon, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who called them “completely unacceptable.”
“We are tracking these very closely and will address, immediately,” Mr. Hegseth posted on X the day after Mr. Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 during a public appearance at a college in Utah.
The Army is to first service to clarify the steps that will be taken as officials investigate the posts. Mr. Driscoll said the Army has received tips from the public, both civilian and military members, over comments about Mr. Kirk that some troops have leveled since his death.
“They’ve come in from passionate citizens. They’ve come in from veterans. They’ve come in from service members and leaders,” Mr. Driscoll told The Times.
“We are essentially aggregating any instance of this if it feels like a violation of Army norms,” he said. “We are empowering leadership with the information to go do their own investigation.”
Multiple websites and X accounts have focused on identifying service members who may have made disparaging remarks about Mr. Kirk’s assassination. The Army secretary said he was unaware of the total number of personnel who have been identified in the investigation.
“It is rolling in and we are ‘actioning’ it in near real time,” Mr. Driscoll said.
