The US Military Has an Extremism Problem and Charlie Kirk's Murder Put It Under the Spotlight

When former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin galumphed into office in 2021, one of his first priorities was rooting out extremism in the ranks.

In an April 9, 2021, memo, Austin inaugurated his "Immediate Actions to Counter Extremism in the Department and the Establishment of the Countering Extremism Working Group (CEWG)." One of its four requirements was:

Commission of Extremism Study: The Department will commission a study on extremist behavior within our Total Force, to include gaining greater fidelity on the scope of the problem.

This was driven by media reports of veterans involved in the January 6 protests on Capitol Hill, which gave the impression that the protests featured a large number of military personnel and veterans.

The report, which I think had the subliminal effect of telling white, heterosexual men and women that there was no longer a place for them in the military, was a dud.

BACKGROUND:

The World Is on Fire, but Here Is the Defense Department's Highest Priority – RedState

DOD's 'Military Extremism' Investigation Is a Dud – RedState

Navy Investigating SEAL for Supposed Ties to 'Extremist' Groups and Advocacy Against Gender Ideology – RedState

But there were inklings that there was an extremist problem in the military, it just didn't have a rifle rack in its pickup and fly the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia.

BACKGROUND:

Aaron Bushnell Proves What We've Said All Along About SecDef Austin's Stupid 'Extremism Stand Down' – RedState

Here's What Happens When Liberals Run the Military - Study Says It Is Now a 'Vast DEI Bureaucracy' Mess – RedState

Army Starts Sham Investigation Into Bondage Fetish Colonel and His Friends Because They Think You're Stupid – RedState

The murder of Charlie Kirk on Wednesday brought to the surface the real extremist element in the U.S. military. Unsurprisingly, it is composed of men and women, some of senior rank, who deeply internalized the DEI culture and the radical left politics forced upon them by the Obama and Biden administrations. The reactions have been so over the top that all service secretaries have issued warnings.

This anti-American venom is in everything. We have a very serious problem on our hands.

Army
Air Force
Coast Guard
Navy
Secret Service pic.twitter.com/hJJtIV07dO
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) September 12, 2025

Take, for instance, this Army colonel. According to reports, he's already commanded a battalion, so imagine the command climate in that unit and the people he chose to rate highly.

Good Afternoon @DeptofWar

Army Colonel Scott Stephens believes Charlie Kirk deserved to be murdered and that anyone that holds his mainstream conservative views are evil.

He is a radical leftist and unfit to lead our nations finest. @SecWar @SeanParnellASW @USArmy… https://t.co/ScYsqhLKHC pic.twitter.com/H6GNneimsl
— Mostly Peaceful Memes (@MostlyPeacefull) September 12, 2025

There is the now-fired USMC major who was charged with recruiting prospective Marine officers in the Chicago area.

BREAKING: U.S. Marine Jacoby Williamson has been FIRED after celebrating Charlie Kirk's death by posting, "Another racist man popped 🍻."

Deserved. pic.twitter.com/EVynOOUdM0
— Ty🇺🇸 (@TyNielsen18) September 12, 2025

My favorite is the Army Reserve major who advocated the murder of President Trump's White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Stephen Miller. (The surname is a typo.)

Army Reserve Major Brian Bintliff is openly celebrating Charlie’s ass&ssination and threatening Congress.

This isn’t “activism,” it’s treason in uniform. pic.twitter.com/qoRNOidRKV
— Military Support (@MilitaryCooI) September 13, 2025

In this one, his "f*** Mike Johnson" comment qualifies him for a rendezvous with Article 88, UCMJ.

Meet Brian Harlow. Brian is a Major with the US Army Reserves. His command is USACAPOC (United States Army Civil Affairs and Psychology Operations Command.)

Brian has been viciously calling for more violence and celebrating Charlie’s death saying “a monster died today” and that… pic.twitter.com/pgYCiqO3Rn
— Aesthetica (@Anc_Aesthetics) September 12, 2025

Perhaps the epitome of this extremism is a USAF master sergeant stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

Meet Senior Mastersergeant Adam Antonioli, from Hurlburt Field FL. He thinks that the people mourning Charlie Kirk are “pathetic.” On Facebook his profile picture is an upside down flag, and he refuses to respect anyone who respect the Commander in Chief. Is this OK @PeteHegseth? pic.twitter.com/AMwbof8YLg
— Sólionath (@Anarseldain) September 13, 2025

This guy is awesome. Not only does he display pictures of himself, in uniform, alongside his invective, his avatar is a U.S. flag flying upside down, and, as the pièce de résistance, he displays a silhouette of President Trump with the slogan, "I can't respect people who respect him."

It looks like the fun times for the intolerant, violent left in the military are over. The case of the USAF noncommissioned officer was brought to the attention of Air Force Undersecretary Matt Lohmeier; see Space Force Lt. Colonel Ousted for Denouncing Marxism Reveals How Deep the Marxist Infection Goes and From Relieved to Risen: Hail to the New Air Force Undersecretary.

This morning, it was brought to my attention what appears to me to be explicit (repeated) violations of the oath to defend the constitution coming from a uniformed service member, the public criticism of our commander-in-chief, and overt partisan behavior; there will be swift… https://t.co/Oxxew1d4GZ
— Matt Lohmeier 🇺🇸 (@matthewlohmeier) September 13, 2025

This morning, it was brought to my attention what appears to me to be explicit (repeated) violations of the oath to defend the constitution coming from a uniformed service member, the public criticism of our commander-in-chief, and overt partisan behavior; there will be swift accountability. What I have seen is, at a minimum, a violation of Article 134 of the UCMJ. Of course, the veracity of the accounts and this conduct must be confirmed.
I’ve asked our senior military leaders to read the member his rights, and place him and his entire chain of command under investigation. Zero tolerance for this. Men and women who are guilty of this kind of behavior will not serve in uniform.

His tweet drew this response from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Thank you Matt; exactly the swift action that must be taken. https://t.co/dUibTHGgYL
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) September 13, 2025

Thank you Matt; exactly the swift action that must be taken.

The fact that the military has people who have these opinions is not unusual. The military is huge. What is remarkable is the cultural rot (REVIEW: Pete Hegseth's 'War On Warriors', The Cultural Rot Infecting Our Military) and drift from sanity and ethical moorings that led people to think it was acceptable to express those opinions while identifying themselves as members of the Armed Forces. The scary part is that hundreds of these people crawled out of the slime shortly after Charlie Kirk's assassination and made it clear that not only were they fine with the death of a young husband and father who said things they didn't like, but they are perfectly happy to cheer for more.

I'm sorry, you can't swear an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States" on one hand while encouraging political violence on the other, and you can't pledge to defend the nation against "all enemies, foreign and domestic," if you are one of the domestic enemies.