Fact Check: Did Pete Hegseth call for dishonorable discharge of Antifa members from US military?
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, a rumor has been circulating on social media platforms claiming that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called for the dishonorable discharge of active Antifa members from the United States military.
The claim has sparked speculation and criticism from online users. Let us fact-check the claim.
Claim: Antifa members to be discharged from the US military
According to the viral claim, Hegseth ordered the Judge Advocate General's office to begin routine background checks on service members to ensure they aren't extremist plants.
"We won't allow these radicals to infiltrate any further,” Hegseth allegedly said.
The Facebook post further claimed that the dishonorable discharge could also come with a general court-martial for higher-ranking Antifa members.
The post was accompanied by a photo of Hegseth with overlay text stating, “I've ordered that any US soldier caught being an active member of Antifa be dishonourably discharged."
Fact Check: The claim originated as satire
However, the claim is false, as there is no evidence of Hegseth making such an announcement.
There are no official statements or press reports from the White House, the War Department, or the Army about the dishonorable discharge of active Antifa members.
A Google search for the claim yielded no credible reports from prominent news media outlets, except for social media posts on Facebook and X sharing the claim.
Also, Antifa is not a registered organization with active membership, making it unlikely that members could be identified and discharged from service. Moreover, the post, which featured a photo of Hegseth, contains small overlay text in the bottom-right corner stating, “Nothing on this page is real.”
A further look at the account reveals that it is a parody account that often posts such fake claims for engagement.
Trump administration targets left-wing extremist groups
The Trump administration, on May 6, unveiled a long-awaited strategy that pivots toward domestic left-wing "violent secular" groups.
Sebastian Gorka, the senior counterterrorism director at the National Security Council, spearheaded the new framework and officially released details during a call with reporters.
Gorka argued that while the administration would not permit violence from "either side of the aisle," the political left is responsible for the majority of recent politically motivated killings or attempted killings.
This policy shift follows an executive order signed by President Trump in late September that officially designated the activist movement Antifa as a radical organization.
