Report: Pentagon Puts Military Influencers in Civilian Posts

The Pentagon is quietly bringing right-leaning "military influencer" voices inside the building, according to a Washington Post investigation by Dan Lamothe and Tara Copp. The paper reports that several conservative veterans with sizable social media followings—including retired colonels Rob Maness, Kurt Schlichter, and Thomas Anderson—have been hired into civilian posts under Anthony Tata, the undersecretary overseeing personnel and readiness, while continuing to present themselves publicly as outside commentators. Pentagon records show they hold official ".civ" email addresses, but neither their roles nor whether they're on the federal payroll have been disclosed.

The trio, described as "special government employees" or "highly qualified experts," have taken part in an internal task force focused on rooting out what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's team labels "woke" ideology at war colleges. At the same time, they've been publishing columns and social media posts defending Hegseth and attacking critics without noting any government ties, raising questions about transparency, taxpayer-funded influence operations, and blurred lines between media and state. Read the full Washington Post piece for the sourcing, documents, and on-the-record pushback.