RELEASE: Friedman Leads Congressional Jewish Caucus Demanding Action After Pentagon Spokesperson's Antisemitic Comments

June 24, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, June 24, 2025, U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30) led the Congressional Jewish Caucus in demanding accountability from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for a senior Department of Defense official's antisemitic public statements.

The letter calls attention to disturbing remarks made by Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson, including:

Endorsing the antisemitic and racist "Great Replacement" theory.
Repeating slurs tied to neo-Nazi movements.
Falsely accusing Leo Frank - a Jewish man lynched in 1915 - of crimes he did not commit.

"Recent public reporting has highlighted a series of deeply troubling and offensive statements made by Kingsley Wilson, now serving as Pentagon Press Secretary," wrote the Congressional Jewish Caucus to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. "These remarks are not isolated or ambiguous and have long been associated with violence and hate. Their presence boldly and unrepentantly plastered in the public record of a senior Department official raises serious questions about the Department's commitment to opposing extremism and antisemitism."

The letter is endorsed by the Congressional Jewish Caucus and signed by all 21 members including Friedman (CA-30), Auchincloss (MA-4), Balint (VT-AL), Bonamici (OR-1), Cohen (TN-9), Frankel (FL-22), Goldman (NY-10), Gottheimer (NJ-5), Jacobs (CA-51), Landsman (OH-1), Levin (CA-49), Magaziner (RI-2), Moskowitz (FL-23), Nadler (NY-12), Raskin (MD-8), Schakowsky (IL-9), Schneider (IL-10), Schrier (WA-8), Sherman (CA-32), Vindman (VA-7), Wasserman Schultz (FL-25).

The members ask Secretary Hegseth to clarify:

Whether Wilson's comments are acceptable under current DoD standards.
How the Department evaluates the severity of such remarks
What precedent exists for responding to antisemitic statements from personnel.
Whether Secretary Hegseth personally finds these statements acceptable.

Full text of the letter can be found here and below:

June 24, 2025

The Honorable Pete Hegseth

Secretary of Defense

U.S. Department of Defense

1000 Defense Pentagon

Washington, DC 20301

Dear Secretary Hegseth,

As members of the Congressional Jewish Caucus, we write to respectfully request clarification from the Department of Defense on standards regarding its employees with a history of antisemitic statements. Recent public reporting has highlighted a series of deeply troubling and offensive statements made by Kingsley Wilson, now serving as Pentagon Press Secretary. These statements include promoting the antisemitic and racist "Great Replacement" theory, praising far-right political movements using slogans tied to neo-Nazi groups, and repeating patently false statements commonly circulated in neo-Nazi circles about Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was lynched by an antisemitic mob in Georgia in 1915. Specifically, Ms. Wilson has said:

"Leo Frank raped & murdered a 13-year-old girl. He also tried to frame a black man for his crime."
"The "Great Replacement Theory" isn't a conspiracy. It's already happened."
At least four times: " Ausländer Raus!" This is a slogan banned in Germany because of its link to the Nazis.

These remarks are not isolated or ambiguous and have long been associated with violence and hate. Their presence boldly and unrepentantly plastered in the public record of a senior Department official raises serious questions about the Department's commitment to opposing extremism and antisemitism.

During your recent testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, you responded to questions about Wilson's comments by calling them "a mischaracterization attempting to win political points," and stated that you "would need to see precisely what's being characterized."

Now that we have provided the direct quotes to which Senator Rosen referred, we ask the Department of Defense to clarify the below four questions:

Can you confirm whether or not the public comments made by Kingsley Wilson are permissible for a civilian employee serving in a senior, public-facing role within the Department?
When a Department employee has been confirmed to have made public statements of this nature, how has the Department assessed whether those remarks are relevant or serious enough to warrant action?
What specific steps, if any, has the Department taken in response to past antisemitic language from Department employees?
Do you, Secretary Hegseth, find these comments to be acceptable language for an official representing the Department of Defense?

We look forward to promptly receiving your reply. In the meantime, we urge the Department to affirm its responsibility to uphold the highest ethical standards. That includes an unambiguous commitment to confronting and unequivocally condemning antisemitism - especially within its own ranks - and ensuring that individuals who promote hate are quickly and appropriately held accountable.

Sincerely,

[SIGNED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS]

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