Jewish lawmakers press Pete Hegseth over promotion of Pentagon press secretary who posted antisemitic rhetoric

The ADL and the American Jewish Committee condemned her appointment.

By Grace Gilson, JTA

The House Jewish Caucus called for answers from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the promotion of Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon press secretary accused of repeatedly posting antisemitic rhetoric online.

In a letter sent Tuesday, the 21 Democratic representatives in the caucus aired their concerns over “a series of deeply troubling and offensive statements made by Kingsley Wilson.”

“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,” the letter read.

The letter, which was led by Rep. Laura Friedman, a California Democrat, said that Wilson’s statement’s “raised questions” about the Department of Defense’s “commitment to opposing extremism and antisemitism.” The letter was first reported by Jewish Insider.

Scrutiny of the former acting press secretary last month showed that in 2024 she had tweeted a neo-Nazi talking point about Frank, whose murder by a Georgia mob spurred the creation of the Anti-Defamation League.

The ADL and the American Jewish Committee condemned her appointment.

She has also tweeted several times in support of the “Great Replacement” theory, whose original version contends that Jews are orchestrating immigration in order to undermine white-majority populations.

The caucus letter asked the DOD about steps it has taken to address antisemitism and whether Hegseth finds Wilson’s comments to be “acceptable language for an official representing the Department of Defense.”

It was co-signed by caucus co-chairs Rep. Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, and Brad Schneider, an Illinois Democrat, and 18 other House Democrats.

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week, Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat, also lambasted Hegseth over the appointment of Wilson as press secretary.

“Given the rise in antisemitic violence and hate crimes in our nation, and to show that the Trump Administration does have a zero-tolerance policy for antisemitism, will you dismiss Ms. Kingsley from her role as the U.S. military’s spokesperson today? Yes or no,” asked Rosen.

In his response, Hegseth defended Kingsley, saying that she “does a fantastic job” and that suggesting he, Wilson or others are “party to antisemitism is a mischaracterization attempting to win political points.”

“I’m going to assume that your lack of an answer confirms what we’ve known all along, that the Trump Administration is not serious,” replied Rosen.

“You are not a serious person. You are not serious about rooting out antisemitism in the ranks of our DOD. It’s despicable. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”