Pentagon 'tracking' comments by its members celebrating Charlie Kirk's death, and military officials warn of 'zero tolerance' and sanctions

The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, warned civilian and military employees that the Pentagon is "tracking" any comments celebrating or mocking the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which occurred on Wednesday on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU).

“We are tracking all these very closely—and will address them immediately. Completely unacceptable,” Hegseth wrote on X, responding to a statement from Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell.

Parnell had previously stated, “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.”

Both Republican and Democratic figures, including all living former U.S. presidents, have condemned the killing. However, a few users on social networks have mocked or celebrated the death, sparking widespread outrage.

More warnings from authorities

The heads of the military services also issued similar warnings. Along those lines, the Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, wrote, 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 @USNavy, or the @USMC will be dealt with swiftly and decisively.”

In addition, the official X account of the U.S. Coast Guard noted, “The U.S. Coast Guard is aware of inappropriate personal social media activity made by a member regarding recent political violence. That social media activity is contrary to our core values. With the support of DHS, we are actively investigating this activity and will take appropriate action to hold the individual accountable.”