The U.S. Army has suspended Col. Scott Stephens after controversial social media posts surfaced. The posts appeared to celebrate the killing of conservative figure Charlie Kirk. This suspension follows intense public and governmental scrutiny.
An Army spokesperson confirmed Stephens’ suspension on Monday. The spokesperson also revealed that an internal investigation is now underway. Stephens did not respond to any requests for comment before this story went live.
One post attributed to Stephens read, “The death of Charlie Kirk in Utah was tragic. However, we can take comfort in the fact that Charlie was doing what he loved — spreading hate, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and transphobia on college campuses.”
Another message continued, “I would offer empathy, but Charlie hated empathy. We have to move on. We can’t make this political.” Stephens previously commanded the 1st Battalion, 4th Armor Regiment in the 1st Armored Brigade. In recent years, he promoted himself as a strong advocate against sexual assault in the Army.
However, In a 2021 interview with Task & Purpose, Stephens admitted his past failings. He stated, “I’ve been guilty my whole life.” He emphasized that he had taken personal steps to change and inspire others to speak out.
“I haven’t met a single woman in the Army who escaped harassment,” he said. “Most have also suffered assault. I serve with these women — they’re my teammates and my sisters.”
Meanwhile, zero tolerance at the Department of War was echoed again this week. Pentagon officials said they would investigate any military personnel who mocked Kirk’s death online.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated, “It is unacceptable for service members to celebrate the assassination of a fellow American.” He called the conduct “completely unacceptable.” Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced the stance. He shared Parnell’s statement and added that all such incidents would be addressed immediately.
In a related case, Maj. Bryan Bintliff, known as “Bryan Harlow” online, also faced suspension. His posts also appeared to praise the killing of Charlie Kirk. One read, “A monster died today.” Another post said, “It’s sad Charlie’s kids are traumatized for life, but it’s not a sad thing that he’s dead.”
The military’s message remains clear. Zero tolerance at the Department of War applies to everyone in uniform. Actions, even online, have serious consequences in today’s Army.
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