The Pentagon is suspending participation in all think tank events, Politico reported Thursday, one week after pulling out of the Aspen Security Forum.
Politico cited an email sent Thursday that it had obtained, a directive which also singled out the Halifax International Security Forum, held each winter in Nova Scotia, as an event to be skipped.
Further, the Pentagon will review all requests for participation at events and will ask for remarks in advance for events that are approved, according to the report. The directive applies to military officers, civil servants, and senior enlisted leaders, according to Politico.
"In order to ensure the Department of Defense is not lending its name and credibility to organizations, forums, and events that run counter to the values of this administration, the Department's Office of Public Affairs will be conducting a thorough vetting of every event where Defense officials are invited to participate," Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told Politico in a statement.
The directive comes one week after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pulled senior Defense Department officials from the Aspen Security Conference, which was slapped for promoting the "evil of globalism."
In a statement last week, Parnell said "Senior Department of Defense officials will no longer be participating at the Aspen Security Forum because their values do not align with the values of the DoD."
However, Trump administration officials Adam Boehler, the presidential envoy for hostage response, and Tom Barrack, the U.S. ambassador the Turkey and Syria, were scheduled to attend the conference.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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