Congressional Democrats are criticizing the Trump administration for hiring Kingsley Wilson as a deputy press secretary at the Pentagon. Wilson has a history of promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories, which has raised serious concerns among lawmakers.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, called the hiring “outrageous” and demanded that Secretary Pete Hegseth fire Wilson immediately. He pointed to the rising antisemitism around the world since the events of October 7th.
Sen. Jacky Rosen, co-chair of the Senate antisemitism task force, described Wilson’s behavior as alarming. She emphasized that anyone who spreads antisemitic rhetoric should not hold a government position.
Former Pentagon official Sen. Elissa Slotkin echoed this sentiment, stressing that Wilson’s past comments and conspiracy theories make her unfit to serve. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz noted that Wilson’s hiring fits a troubling pattern of the Trump administration surrounding itself with extremists.
Rep. Jerry Nadler, co-chair of the House Jewish Caucus, expressed outrage that someone with such extremist views is now representing the Pentagon. He criticized the administration for normalizing hate and bigotry.
Rep. Dan Goldman called for an immediate removal of Wilson, stating that the fight against antisemitism must happen on both the left and right. He highlighted that no one holding extremist views should be appointed to significant roles in the Department of Defense.
Rep. Ritchie Torres wrote to Hegseth, describing Wilson’s hiring as an insult to the Department of Defense’s integrity. He questioned the judgment of those who believe Wilson is fit for the position and pointed out that keeping her could be seen as an endorsement of her harmful views.
Sen. Tim Kaine expressed his sadness over the situation and remarked on the alarming nature of young people holding such bigoted beliefs. He wondered about the life experiences that could lead someone to embrace such views.
On the Republican side, many lawmakers have not commented. Some said they were unfamiliar with the details, while others promised to look into the matter. Sen. Deb Fischer acknowledged the inappropriateness of Wilson’s comments, while Sen. Lindsey Graham distanced Trump from the views attributed to Wilson.
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