Defense Department pauses all social media posts pending review by incoming secretary

The Department of Defense (DOD) has ordered an contiguous worldwide intermission to its societal media pages and is pausing each posts connected each societal media platforms, unless the posts person to bash with U.S. subject operations and deployments to support the confederate border, Fox News has learned.

The bid came with President Donald Trump's approval from the White House and volition stay successful spot until his prime for defence caput is confirmed and directs otherwise, 2 elder U.S. defence officials told Fox News.

The impermanent intermission is expected to past a substance of days, portion guidance is fixed to each uniformed and civilian nationalist affairs serviceman liable for societal media websites.

All societal media posts should bespeak an accent solely connected "warfighting and lethality," sources said.

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Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's nominee for caput of defense, arrives for the 60th statesmanlike inauguration Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.  (Kenny Holston/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A elder defence authoritative said the caller medication wants to guarantee that "all communications are aligned" with its goals. The intermission lone applies to societal media posts. Press releases volition inactive beryllium emailed to reporters and posted connected DOD websites, sources said.

Civilian and subject nationalist affairs officers worldwide volition soon person interior guidance connected each posts and societal media outreach for subject recruiting, posts from DOD schools and posts from combatant commands connected ongoing subject operations. 

Social media accounts volition beryllium unopen down, and past contented won't beryllium erased, but nary caller posts volition beryllium permitted until the aboriginal defence secretary, erstwhile confirmed, directs otherwise, a elder U.S. defence authoritative explained to Fox News. 

"The Department of Defense is reviewing its societal media programming to marque definite it aligns with President Trump's priorities connected readiness, lethality and warfighting," a elder U.S. defence authoritative told Fox News successful a statement. "This intermission does not use for contented and imagery comparative to the DOD's existent borderline information operations announced yesterday by Acting Secretary of Defense Robert G. Salesses."

Under erstwhile administrations, including the Biden administration, the subject had been criticized for societal media posts focusing connected what critics called "woke" priorities.

The U.S. Army successful 2021 released an animated recruitment advertisement telling the communicative of an Army corporal with 2 moms arsenic portion of a recruitment campaign, "The Calling," which depicted the divers stories of 5 antithetic work members.

"It begins successful California with a small miss raised by 2 moms," the narrator, Cpl. Emma Malonelord, said successful the video. "Although I had a reasonably emblematic childhood, took ballet, played violin, I besides marched for equality. I similar to deliberation I've been defending state from an aboriginal age."

Critics rapidly expressed interest astir the advertisement undermining assurance successful the spot of the U.S. military, Fox News Digital reported astatine the time. Many societal media users posted side-by-side comparisons to ads released by different nations' militaries.

"We are truthful doomed," Media Research Center's Dan Gainor wrote astatine the clip alongside the edited clip.

"Russians are gathering a subject focused connected sidesplitting radical and breaking things. We're seemingly gathering a subject focused connected being susceptible of explaining microaggressions and captious contention mentation to Afghan Tribesmen," John Hawkins concurred astatine the time.

American flags and a pridefulness emblem bent from the White House during a Pride Month solemnisation connected the South Lawn June 10, 2023, successful Washington.  (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

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At the commencement of Pride Month successful 2022, the United States Space Force posted connected X, highlighting Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback's comments connected the "QueerSpace" podcast.

"Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback spoke connected however the LIT is moving to alteration policy, alteration minds, and make opportunities for LGBTQ+ members of the military," the station stated.

On the aforesaid day, the authoritative U.S. Marines relationship connected X shared an illustration of a Marine helmet with rainbow-colored bullets.

"Throughout June, the USMC takes #Pride successful recognizing and honoring the contributions of our LGBTQ work members," the subject subdivision wrote. "We stay committed to fostering an situation escaped from discrimination, and support the values of treating each equally, with dignity and respect."

In June 2023, the U.S. Air Force posted an illustration to X during Pride Month, featuring a work subordinate saluting successful beforehand of the rainbow flag.

The station received astir 6,000 comments.

"As an Air Force vet, I americium embarrassed by this," 1 professional wrote. "How [far] we person fallen arsenic a arrogant nation. This bulls--- needs to end."

"Pentagon and today's Joint Chiefs are a nationalist embarrassment and are destroying subject readiness," different wrote. "Disgraceful."

The U.S. State Department precocious adopted a "one emblem policy" bid from the Trump administration, which permits lone the American emblem to beryllium flown astatine U.S. buildings astatine location and abroad, with 2 notable exceptions, the Prisoner of War/Missing successful Action emblem and the Wrongful Detainees Flag.

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Trump besides ordered each diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) authorities offices to close. All DEI national workers were placed connected paid administrative leave.

Fox News Digital reached retired to the White House for further comment. 

Fox News Digital's Yael Halon and Stephen Sorace contributed to this story.