(NewsNation) — The Department of Defense issued a “pause” on all official social media accounts Thursday, saying it will be taking a break from posting to make sure online messaging aligns with President Donald Trump.
The only exception to the policy will be posts made about U.S. military operations around the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Fox News, which first reported the directive.
The Defense Department said it needs time to review its social media programming to match “President Trump’s priorities on readiness, lethality and warfighting,” a senior U.S. defense official told the outlet in a statement.
“This pause does not apply for content and imagery relative to the DOD’s current border security operations announced yesterday by Acting Secretary of Defense Robert G. Salesses.”
The directive was not listed on the agency’s website as of Friday afternoon.
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The agency extended the pause to all of its platforms with exceptions given only on a “case-by-case basis to support emergency situations/notifications of command information,” the agency said.
The social media pause is expected to remain in place until Trump’s pick for defense secretary is confirmed and directed otherwise, Fox News first reported, citing two unnamed defense officials.
Social media accounts will not be shut down, and past content won’t be erased, but no new posts will be permitted until the future defense secretary, once confirmed, directs otherwise, a senior U.S. defense official told the outlet.
The 88th Air Base Wing posted on X that it was pausing social media posting, citing the new Department of Defense policy.
“In accordance with the DoD directive, all WPAFB official social media activity is paused. For real-time information, visit www.wpafb.af.mil. Comments are turned off due to not monitoring,” the wing posted.
