미 국방부, 우파 인플루언서 몰래 채용해 군 ‘사상 검증’ 활동

The U.S. Department of Defense has been secretly hiring conservative influencers to validate military views, according to multiple sources cited by The Washington Post on the 30th. The outlet reported that the department had recently hired three military-background, right-wing influencers who have millions of followers to influence civilian government positions and impact policy.

These influencers include Lieutenant Colonel Rob Maine, who has 135,000 followers, Lieutenant Colonel Curt Sligh, with 62,000 followers, and Major Thomas Anderson, who has 323,000 followers. All three used ‘.civ’ in their email addresses to indicate their status as civilian government employees. Anderson, who is listed as 'Senior Publius' in the department, previously worked at the Pentagon but stepped down earlier this year.

Sources said these influencers were part of a task force formed to root out dissenting voices in the Pentagon's "Work" ideology. They inquired how to answer questions about their views on Pentagon officials, including Secretary of Defense Mark Tatum, and expressed fear of negative repercussions for their responses. All three served under Tatum's office, which is responsible for implementing the department's cultural war against progressive ideologies.

Secretary Tatum emphasizes that this war is a critical mission for the military, targeting political correctness and promoting a favorable image of the government abroad. Maine and Sligh authored articles for The Washington Post and other media, advocating for the Pentagon and former President Trump while not disclosing their government employment.

This is not the first time military influencers have been hired by the Pentagon. A conservative lifestyle influencer, Jenny Kane, who has 95,000 followers, was revealed to be working for the Pentagon in July, raising concerns about government employment of biased opinion leaders. Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Adam Kinzinger, a Republican congressman, also received a job offer from the Pentagon but declined.