The murder of Charlie Kirk was a shock to the nation — a young conservative leader gunned down in front of students, a husband and father stolen from his family. But in the hours and days since, another shock has emerged: men and women in uniform, sworn to uphold the Constitution and defend their fellow Americans, have taken to social media to mock his death and suggest he somehow “deserved it.”
The examples are jaw-dropping.
U.S. Navy Petty Officer Anthony Hyland, with 1.5 million TikTok followers, used his platform to deliver a profanity-laced tirade against Kirk’s supporters. “F*** Charlie Kirk,” Hyland sneered, before accusing mourners of being racist. He ended his rant with a chilling justification: “I don’t condone what happened to him, but guess what? God’s timing is always right.”
Shannon Tonra, a mortuary affairs specialist in the New Jersey Army National Guard, reacted on Facebook with sarcasm: “Oh no. Whatever shall we do without his incessant misogyny, racism and hatefulness.” When criticism poured in, she attempted to backtrack, claiming her words were “misconstrued,” but her profile still displayed her military affiliation and photos in uniform.
Guillermo Muniz, a commander at the 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment at FORSCOM, called Kirk’s assassination a “FAFO situation” — shorthand for “f*** around and find out.” He openly suggested that Kirk’s speech made him a legitimate target: “If you choose to make a living by actively talking crap and pissing people off, you should expect for someone to want to hurt you someday.”
When challenged that accountability doesn’t mean violence, Muniz replied: “I grew up in the ghetto. If you talk sht, you’re gonna get hit.”*
Channcey Ruffin, a Navy Petty Officer First Class with 17 years of service, posted that Kirk should have been “careful” with his words, implying that his “homophobic” statements brought about his death: “You have to be careful of your words… because it just might be those very words that get you up outta here… bless his kids heart… Oh and he was homophobic… well better luck next time friend.”
Each of these comments was made publicly, many accompanied by photos of the service members in uniform — tying their statements directly to the U.S. military.
The outrage has been immediate. Calls are growing for Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth to reprimand and potentially discharge those in uniform who appear to condone or justify political assassination. As one Army veteran put it online: “If you wear the flag, you don’t get to cheer the murder of an American citizen for his political views.”
