DoD Official’s History of Racist & Anti-Semitic Social Media Posts Raises Alarms

DoD Official’s History of Racist & Anti-Semitic Social Media Posts Raises Alarms

Edited by: Fern Sidman

NBC News has reported that Kingsley Wilson, who serves as a deputy press secretary at the Defense Department, has a troubling history of racist, ultra-nationalist, and isolationist posts on social media. Her statements, which include promoting discredited conspiracy theories about a Jewish lynching victim and expressing hostility toward U.S. military aid to Israel and Ukraine, have sparked outrage and renewed concerns about extremism within government ranks.

Wilson’s social media activity gained attention earlier this week when resurfaced posts from 2023 and 2024 revealed her endorsement of widely debunked conspiracy theories. Among the most alarming was her assertion that Leo Frank, a Jewish man lynched by a Georgia mob in 1915 after a controversial conviction, was in fact guilty, according to the NBC News report. Historians widely regard Frank as falsely accused, and his case was a pivotal moment in American history, leading to the formation of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). NBC News quoted the ADL’s reaction, stating: “White supremacists and other anti-Semites have long used conspiracy theories about the Leo Frank case to cast doubt on the circumstances of the anti-Semitic lynching of Leo Frank.” The ADL further condemned Wilson’s statements and urged her to retract them immediately.

Wilson’s staunch opposition to U.S. military intervention abroad, particularly regarding Israel and Ukraine. Days after the war in Gaza began, she declared, “My future children will not die in foreign ethnic conflicts a world away.” Additionally, she dismissed NATO as “nothing more than an international HR department” in a post from July 2023. Her stance extended to rejecting U.S. military support for Israel, questioning, “Why is the U.S. military defending Israel & Ukraine’s border but not our own?” Furthermore, NBC News uncovered a 2023 response she made to former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on X, in which she wrote, “Fight your own wars. America First.”

Wilson and the Defense Department have not responded to NBC News’ requests for comment regarding whether her statements reflect the views of the Pentagon. Her past posts suggest a deeply ingrained ideological opposition to U.S. foreign aid and involvement, particularly in supporting Israel and Ukraine. Her rhetoric has been especially aggressive toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom she referred to as an “entitled midget.” At the same time, NBC News reported that she expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling his “encyclopedic knowledge of his people’s history beyond impressive.”

Wilson has endorsed far-right political movements in Europe, particularly Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In multiple posts, she has referenced AfD alongside the German phrase translating to “foreigners out,” a widely recognized nationalist slogan, the NBC News report revealed. This apparent alignment with extremist political movements adds another layer of concern regarding her ideological leanings.

NBC News highlighted one of Wilson’s most contentious remarks—her assertion that Kosovo should be “made Serbia again.” This statement starkly contradicts the official stance of the United States, which has recognized Kosovo as an independent nation following the bloody conflict between Serbia and Kosovo in the late 1990s. Kosovo’s sovereignty remains a contentious issue, particularly as Russia, a key ally of Serbia, refuses to acknowledge its independence.

Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York was swift in his condemnation of Wilson’s remarks. In a scathing letter to Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth, Torres wrote: “The appointment of Kingsley Wilson as Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary is an insult to the integrity of the Department of Defense. Doing a basic search through her social media history, it is clear that her record is a minefield of anti-Semitic rhetoric, white nationalist conspiracies, and pro-Kremlin propaganda—making her unfit for any position of public trust, let alone one at the high levels of the Pentagon press shop.”

Torres continued by saying, “Wilson’s continued presence at the Pentagon is a stain on its reputation and I call on you to fire her immediately. Anything less will be reasonably understood by the public as an endorsement on behalf of yourself and the Pentagon of her repugnant views.”

NBC News has documented Wilson’s repeated engagement with discredited conspiracy theories, many of which have been widely denounced as racist or xenophobic. Among her more incendiary claims are allegations that Haitian immigrants in the U.S. are “eating cats” and “dirt”—statements that reflect classic xenophobic tropes designed to vilify marginalized communities.

Wilson has also propagated the far-right “great replacement theory,” a conspiracy theory falsely claiming that Western governments are intentionally orchestrating the demographic replacement of white populations through immigration. NBC News has noted that this theory has been cited by white supremacist extremists involved in violent attacks, making its promotion particularly concerning.

Her rhetoric extends beyond immigration. In a Thanksgiving post in 2022, NBC News reported that Wilson wrote: “REMINDER: the Native Americans were anything but peaceful before the arrival of white Europeans.” This comment, which distorts history to justify colonial violence, is in line with broader far-right attempts to reframe historical narratives.

Also highlighted in the NBC News report was Wilson’s numerous attacks on LGBTQ+ communities, women, and marginalized groups. She has referred to transgender individuals as “corrupted souls,” a phrase that mirrors extremist religious rhetoric aimed at dehumanizing LGBTQ+ people. In one instance, when a man was arrested for vandalizing an LGBTQ pride mural, Wilson responded with, “Not all heroes wear capes,” openly celebrating an act of vandalism against a symbol of LGBTQ+ visibility.

Her views on gender extend to traditionalist beliefs about women’s roles in society. According to NBC News, Wilson has publicly stated that women should not serve as police officers or Secret Service agents—an argument rooted in reactionary, anti-feminist ideology. She has also argued that white, Christian males are “the most demonized group in modern America,” a statement reflecting the grievance-driven politics prevalent in far-right circles.

Despite the controversy surrounding her statements, Wilson has ingratiated herself within influential conservative networks. NBC News reported that she has mingled with Republican figures such as Sen. Ted Cruz and appeared on right-wing commentator Tim Pool’s podcast. She has also worked for the Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank, and Gettr, the social media platform founded by former Trump aide Jason Miller.

Wilson’s connections to key conservative players extend to Rep. Matt Gaetz, whom she supported for the position of attorney general. NBC News reported that she traveled to El Salvador with Gaetz and his wife, Ginger, who later praised Wilson as “one of the most articulate voices in politics.” Her endorsement of Gaetz, a figure who has courted controversy himself, further illustrates her alignment with the far-right faction of the Republican Party.

While Wilson has primarily targeted Democrats and progressives, NBC News noted that she has also directed her ire at prominent Republicans. She has criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, reflecting the deep divisions within the GOP. In February 2023, Wilson posted on X: “Republicans are a joke. Only the Executive can save us. Trump 2024.”