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The Pentagon quietly placed conservative military veterans with large social media followings in undisclosed civilian government roles, according to Pentagon records and people familiar with the matter. The individuals reportedly amplified Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's positions while targeting critics of the Trump administration.

The Pentagon quietly placed conservative military veterans with large social media followings in undisclosed civilian government roles, according to Pentagon records and people familiar with the matter. The individuals reportedly amplified Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's positions while targeting critics of the Trump administration.

Retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness and retired Army Col. Kurt Schlichter were identified in Pentagon records as holding active government email addresses with a ".civ" suffix, placing them in the office of Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata. Maness has more than 135,000 followers on X and Schlichter nearly 620,000.

Retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness and retired Army Col. Kurt Schlichter were identified in Pentagon records as holding active government email addresses with a ".civ" suffix, placing them in the office of Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata. Maness has more than 135,000 followers on X and Schlichter nearly 620,000.

The three individuals — Maness, Schlichter and retired Army Col. Thomas Anderson — appeared at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in May as part of the Pentagon's Senior Service College Task Force. The task force was established in March to assess whether military education institutions were focused on what Hegseth described as "core national security issues."

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Pete Hegseth

The three individuals — Maness, Schlichter and retired Army Col. Thomas Anderson — appeared at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in May as part of the Pentagon's Senior Service College Task Force. The task force was established in March to assess whether military education institutions were focused on what Hegseth described as "core national security issues."

Anderson, who writes under the pen name Cynical Publius and has more than 323,000 followers on X, said on social media that his role as a special government employee ended July 26 and was "exclusively limited" to the Senior Service College Task Force. He stated he received no compensation for anything he wrote on X or in other publications.

Cynical Publius

Anderson, who writes under the pen name Cynical Publius and has more than 323,000 followers on X, said on social media that his role as a special government employee ended July 26 and was "exclusively limited" to the Senior Service College Task Force. He stated he received no compensation for anything he wrote on X or in other publications.

Conservative influencer Jennica Pounds, who writes as DataRepublican, disclosed she became a Pentagon special government employee in July, after previously holding a journalist credential in Hegseth's Pentagon press corps through June. Her government role became public after she accused a State Department official of attempting to entrap her into publishing government secrets.

Conservative influencer Jennica Pounds, who writes as DataRepublican, disclosed she became a Pentagon special government employee in July, after previously holding a journalist credential in Hegseth's Pentagon press corps through June. Her government role became public after she accused a State Department official of attempting to entrap her into publishing government secrets.

Pentagon spokesman Joel Valdez declined to comment on whether any of the individuals are receiving taxpayer-funded salaries, what roles they hold or how long the assignments are expected to last. The Pentagon separately hired conservative journalist Jerry Dunleavy to assist with a review of the 2021 fall of Afghanistan, a role it disclosed in May.

Dan Lamothe

Pentagon spokesman Joel Valdez declined to comment on whether any of the individuals are receiving taxpayer-funded salaries, what roles they hold or how long the assignments are expected to last. The Pentagon separately hired conservative journalist Jerry Dunleavy to assist with a review of the 2021 fall of Afghanistan, a role it disclosed in May.

Pentagon Secretly Hired Conservative Influencers

Pentagon Secretly Hired Conservative Influencers

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