The aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination has not only sparked political battles and media controversies — it has now reached into the ranks of the very agency charged with protecting America’s leaders.
🚨🚨EXCLUSIVE and #BREAKING: This is a current Secret Service agent, stating in a Facebook post, that Charlie Kirk deserved what he got.
“You can’t circumvent karma, [sic] she doesnt [sic] leave.”
The comments are similar to the incendiary remarks now former @MSNBC… pic.twitter.com/XMdTcPHP7k
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) September 11, 2025
According to reporting by Susan Crabtree of Real Clear Politics, a U.S. Secret Service agent, Anthony Pough, is under investigation after posting a chilling remark on Facebook that appeared to celebrate Kirk’s death. The post read:
“You can’t circumvent karma, she doesn’t leave.”
For many, the comment wasn’t just inappropriate — it was alarming. Pough’s words echoed the same toxic logic that cost MSNBC contributor Matthew Dowd his job just one day earlier: the suggestion that Kirk’s words, not the shooter’s bullet, were to blame for his assassination.
Within the Secret Service itself, the remark is circulating widely, with some agents reportedly disturbed that a colleague tasked with protecting high-profile figures could express such sentiments. One insider told Real Clear Politics: “If that’s all it takes to set you off, that’s dangerous to have around.” Another questioned the morals of a sworn protector who would “celebrate the death of someone exercising their rights.”
STORY UPDATE: A knowledgeable Secret Service source tells me this USSS agent who said in a Facebook post that Charlie Kirk deserved to be murdered because of “karma” has been placed on administrative leave. https://t.co/ZZuYZDMgBN
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) September 11, 2025
This is not the first time the agency has faced scandal over political bias. In 2017, Kerry O’Grady, then the head of the Denver field office, publicly suggested she would not take a bullet for Trump. She was quietly sidelined until retirement — with full pension.
Pough, described as being in Phase 2 of his career, is not currently on a detail protecting Trump. Still, as insiders note, any agent can be called upon to support presidential coverage at any time — raising unsettling questions about whether personal politics could cloud professional duty.
In attempting to justify his “karma” post, Pough accused Kirk of “spewing hate and racism,” citing a remark about Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee that has long been controversial. But as the full transcript of Kirk’s 2023 comments shows, he was riffing in the context of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling, arguing that certain figures had benefited from preferential admissions policies. While harshly worded, the comments were about higher education and policy — not a call for violence.
Here’s the full official statement from a UlS. Secret Service spokesperson:
“The U.S. Secret Service will not tolerate any behavior, which violates our code of conduct. We are aware of the employee’s social media post from today, and the individual has been placed on… https://t.co/F3ehrvbTt1
— Susan Crabtree (@susancrabtree) September 11, 2025
The Secret Service confirmed late Wednesday that Pough has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. “The U.S. Secret Service will not tolerate any behavior which violates our code of conduct,” the agency said in a statement.
Kirk, just 31, leaves behind a wife and two young children. President Trump, who has credited Kirk with energizing young voters crucial to his political success, has announced that Kirk will posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
