The military is under fire after multiple soldiers were caught mocking the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk online.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth made it clear the behavior will not be tolerated.
“We are tracking all these very closely—and will address, immediately,” Hegseth said. “Completely unacceptable.”
His statement echoed Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell, who said it was “intolerable” for military personnel to “celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American.”
Task & Purpose reported that a Marine had already been demoted and placed under investigation after posting about Kirk’s death.
“Another racist man popped,” the Marine wrote, adding a “cheers” emoji with two beer mugs.
Capt. Austin Gallegos, a Marine Corps spokesperson, confirmed the matter was being handled at the leadership level, per the Daily Mail.
“The Marine leadership was made aware of a social media post last night that does not align with our core values,” Gallegos said.
Gallegos added that the Marine had been relieved of his recruiting duties and was under investigation.
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan also condemned the conduct.
“I am aware of posts displaying contempt toward a fellow American who was assassinated,” Phelan said. “I want to be very clear: