The U.S. Secret Service is under fire after one of its own launched a vile social media attack against Charlie Kirk, just hours after the conservative firebrand was assassinated during a Q&A session on his American Comeback Tour.
Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA and a rising voice in the conservative movement, was fatally shot Wednesday night during a public appearance at Utah Valley University. As the country reeled in shock, mourning the loss of a patriot who had dedicated his life to promoting conservative values, a Secret Service employee took to Facebook to smear Kirk’s legacy.
The employee, Anthony Pough, shared a clip of Kirk criticizing “affirmative action picks” such as Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and former Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, suggesting they lacked the merit to succeed without racial preferences. This is a position that many conservatives share, arguing that standards should not be compromised for political correctness.
But Pough’s reaction was chilling. “If you are Mourning [sic] this guy .. delete me. He spewed hate and racism on his show,” Pough wrote, in a post first reported by RealClearPolitics.
“Especially when we should be mourning the innocent children killed in Colorado.”
Pough was referring to the tragic shooting at Evergreen High School, which left two students seriously wounded after a radicalized 16-year-old opened fire — another consequence of our broken culture.
“At the end of the day, you answer to GOD and speak things into existence. You can only circumvent karma, she doesnt [sic] leave,” Pough added.
The Facebook post remained public for hours before being reported and flagged by outraged members within the Secret Service.
A spokesperson for the agency responded, stating:
“The US Secret Service will not tolerate any behavior which violates our code of conduct. We are aware of the employee’s social media post from today, and the individual has been placed on administrative leave as we investigate the matter.”
Pough’s post has further fueled concerns that parts of the federal bureaucracy have become politicized — not just leaning left, but actively hostile toward conservative Americans.
Kirk’s death has drawn bipartisan mourning, and President Donald Trump announced that Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor — a recognition of his tireless work in promoting liberty, faith, and American exceptionalism.
Charlie is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two young children.
Unfortunately, Pough’s post wasn’t an isolated moment. His history of attacking conservative leaders is well-documented. In earlier Facebook rants, he repeatedly bashed President Trump and mocked initiatives like anti-DEI policies and crackdowns on biased historical content in federal museums.
“Now racism is in power or your aligned agenda. It’s Anti-Woke and Anti-DEI,” he wrote in March. “You teach history so it doesn’t repeat itself. You delete it so it can…”
This attitude seems at odds with someone tasked with protecting all Americans — including those who hold conservative beliefs.
The Secret Service has already faced intense scrutiny due to recent failures. Just last month, an armed club member managed to bring a Glock pistol into Trump National Golf Club in D.C. undetected — an outrageous breach of security. And last year, President Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a Butler, Pennsylvania rally, where a sniper’s bullet grazed his ear — a chilling reminder that threats to conservative leaders are very real.
