Conservative journalists have criticized The Washington Post for suggesting they were secretly positioned by the Pentagon to promote narratives favorable to the Trump administration. The article, authored by Dan Lamothe and Tara Copp, stated that former military personnel Rob Maness, Kurt Schlichter, and Thomas Anderson were hired as civilian employees, further alleging that they supported Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and opposed critics of the Trump administration’s military policy.
The report claimed, “The Pentagon has secretly installed several conservative military veterans with large online followings in government roles, declining to disclose their assignments as they amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s viewpoints and attack those who scrutinize the Trump administration, according to people familiar with the matter and corroborating material.”
It also suggested, “At least some of the influencers have been assigned to civilian roles that could lead to changes in policy, the people familiar with the matter said.”
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The Washington Post reported that the influencers had previous military service and were linked to the Pentagon payroll.
After the publication of the article, Maness, Schlichter, and Anderson refuted its implications, arguing that the information was illegally acquired and misrepresented them as federal operatives. Each clarified their involvement as advisors in a task force to assess senior service colleges through their military expertise and past commentary on improving these institutions.
They stated their compensation was limited to their task force duties, which had concluded.
“My service with the Department of War as a ‘Special Government Employee’ was exclusively limited to participation in such a task force and ended on July 26, 2026,” Anderson, under his “Cynical Publius” account, posted on X. “At no time have I ever received any compensation of any kind from any government source of any kind for anything I write or have ever written on X or in any magazine or other source. Those who claim otherwise defame me. I proudly and openly support the efforts of President Trump and the Department of War because it’s the right thing to do.”
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Maness wrote on X, “The Washington Post article published about me attempts to establish a context with its subtitle that is completely fabricated, categorically false, and defames me. The article also publishes illegally obtained personally identifiable information from government data sources about me. I patriotically and unashamedly support the efforts of President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, and the Department of War to ensure we are producing senior officers who can win our nation’s wars because it’s the most impactful thing to do for America’s future.”
Rob Maness, Kurt Schlichter, and Thomas Anderson have denounced the Washington Post report as “false.”
Schlichter expressed his criticism in his Townhall.com column. “The leftists who seized on this innuendo don’t care about the truth, and it’s irrelevant whether the regime media reporters wrote garbage on purpose or because they are grossly incompetent. I don’t argue with people who, through malice or ineptitude, act in bad faith unless I’m in court. But I will use this situation as a cautionary example of why the regime media is trash and why your contempt for it is so well-deserved,” he wrote, noting a misspelling of his name in the original piece.
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When approached, Dan Lamothe defended the article as “accurate as written,” stating neither the journalists nor the Pentagon disclosed the journalists’ roles as special government employees. The Washington Post did not respond to further requests for comment.
The Pentagon, when asked for comment, referred to a statement by Under Secretary of War Anthony Tata on X. In his comment, Tata emphasized the importance of providing top-tier education to senior officers and highlighted the review of Senior Service Colleges. He acknowledged Maness, Schlichter, and Anderson for their contribution to the task force, which was led by Dr. Maurice L. Todd.
Lindsay Kornick is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @lmkornick.