The Army has launched an investigation after a drill sergeant posted a video showing soldiers being hazed beneath a MAGA flag, which runs afoul of multiple military regulations prohibiting partisan political activity in uniform and on federal property.
Staff Sgt. Thomas Mitchell on Friday uploaded the video to TikTok, showing a group of trainees performing push-ups and burpees in full body armor under a banner that read, "This Is Ultra MAGA Country." The video was later deleted. But shortly after, Mitchell posted a second video showing the same exercising in the same location, this time with the flag removed. The caption: "Cry about it."
"The U.S. Army is an apolitical organization," Jennifer Gunn, a service spokesperson, said in a statement. "Displaying partisan political materials in government facilities, including training areas, is prohibited under Army regulation. We will investigate this matter and address it in accordance with established policies to ensure compliance with standards of conduct and to maintain an environment free from political influence."
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Mitchell serves as an infantry drill sergeant with B Company, 2-19th Infantry Battalion, 198th Infantry Training Brigade, at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Displaying political flags and other partisan memorabilia inside federal buildings is strictly prohibited under Defense Department regulations designed to preserve the military's role as a nonpartisan institution, a norm long considered sacrosanct within the ranks.
Additional rules bar troops in positions of authority from using their influence to sway subordinates politically, a line the Pentagon has drawn sharply to prevent coercion and preserve unit cohesion. While service members retain the right to vote, donate to campaigns, and participate in the political process as private citizens, most political activity is restricted while in uniform or on duty.
The term MAGA refers to President Donald Trump's campaign slogan "make America great again" and is deeply ingrained in his political movement, as well as emblazoned on merchandise such as hats and flags.
The incident comes a month after Trump's high-profile and partisan speech at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in which he prompted boos for his political rivals and applause for his signature rally-style talking points. While presidential visits to military bases are routine, speeches are typically scrubbed of overt politics, and crowd reactions are usually limited to polite applause and occasional laughter at nonpartisan jokes.
Since taking over the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has portrayed himself as a defender of military apoliticism, yet has recast the Defense Department in the image of the Trump movement, sidelining dissent and turning cultural grievances into official policy.
A former Fox News host and longtime conservative pundit, Hegseth has waged a sweeping campaign to dismantle what he calls "woke ideology" in the ranks, targeting diversity programs, censoring curriculum at the service academies, and purging the senior ranks of officers he feels may cast dissent.
"We don't do politics," Hegseth said Friday at a Turning Point USA event, a right-wing conference geared toward young Republicans and activists. "We do warfighting on the behalf of the American people to keep everybody safe."
