DOD reviews participation in all think-tank events after pulling officials from Aspen Forum

The Defense Department is reviewing its participation in think-tank events, vetting organizations for political alignment with the Trump administration, according to the Pentagon's top spokesman.

"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,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell.

The review, first reported by Politico, follows a decision earlier this month to cancel the appearances of senior defense officials at the Aspen Security Forum, citing the “evil of globalism.”

The public affairs review is a significant departure from previous years (as well as the first Trump administration), in which such events offered the public a venue to hear from -- and sometimes question -- senior defense officials about key priorities and the status of ongoing initiatives.

The crackdown also comes as the Office of Public Affairs has increased its staff and its presence on social media, opting to release informational videos with controlled messages, rather than hold regular Pentagon press conferences.

Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson posted to X that “the days of ‘business as usual’ are OVER!”

“The DOD's Office of Public Affairs will be conducting a thorough vetting of every event where Defense officials are invited to participate,” she wrote. “Going forward, no DOD official will attend events by America Last organizations that promote globalism and hate @POTUS!”

It is unclear how wide-ranging the vetting process will be, but major defense events are slated for the remainder of the year, including the Space and Missile Defense Symposium and Expo in Huntsville, AL, the annual Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada, and the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, CA.

Meanwhile, smaller events and discussions are often hosted throughout the year by various think tanks, including the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Heritage Foundation, the Hudson Institute, the Atlantic Council, the American Enterprise Institute, the Brookings Institution, the Center for a New American Security and others.