Pentagon No Longer Participating in Think Tank Events Pending Vetting of Venues

The move comes a week after the Pentagon prohibited military personnel from participating in the annual Aspen Security Forum.
Pentagon No Longer Participating in Think Tank Events Pending Vetting of Venues
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth attends a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Pentagon, Monday, July 21, 2025, in Washington. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein
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The Department of Defense (DOD) will not participate in events with think tanks, as it conducts a “thorough vetting” of events in which the Pentagon can participate.

“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,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told The Epoch Times on July 24.

Jackson Richman
Jackson Richman
Author
Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.
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