Military service members discharged for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine, or who left because of the vaccine mandate, are eligible for reinstatement with full rank and back pay.
Fulfilling his inauguration speech promise, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday calling the Department of Defense’s 2021-2023 vaccine requirement “unfair, overbroad, and completely unnecessary.”
“[T]he military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received,” the order reads. “Federal Government redress of any wrongful dismissals is overdue.”
The order applies to both active and reserve military members who were discharged solely for refusal to take the vaccine or who voluntarily left the service (or allowed their service to lapse) due to the mandate.
Members who left must provide a written and sworn attestation that they left due to the mandate to return to service without affecting rank and pay.
Praised by conservatives and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the president’s order followed on the heels of two other military-related executive orders that target race and gender initiatives implemented by the Biden administration.
The “Restoring America’s Fighting Force” order abolished all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) offices or programs within the Pentagon, claiming they “undermine leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness,” a theme Hegseth has often invoked.
In the same vein, the “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” order directs the Defense secretary to issue updated directives ensuring that transgender service members meet all objective physical and mental fitness standards.
“It is the policy of the United States Government to establish high standards for troop readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity,” the order reads.
“This policy is inconsistent with the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria. This policy is also inconsistent with shifting pronoun usage or use of pronouns that inaccurately reflect an individual’s sex,” it adds.
Hegseth and others have promised that all of these measures will lead to a “recruiting renaissance” under Trump.
Todayville is a digital media and technology company. We profile unique stories and events in our community. Register and promote your community event for free.
‘I don’t believe we should be policing toxic culture wars debates,’ said Sir Mark Rowley, chief of the London Metropolitan Police.
In a remarkable shift, Britain’s most senior police officer is to recommend changes to the law which could allow police to “stop policing tweets” within weeks.
Sir Mark Rowley, chief of London’s Metropolitan Police, said he will approach the Home Secretary with proposals which could see police return to policing real-life crime.
He wants Shabana Mahmood, the new Home Secretary, to change the rules so police officers are not required to record or investigate complaints when there is no evidence the suspect intended real-world harm.
The change would be a remarkable departure from the crackdown on “non-crime hate incidents,” which have seen British people given sentences of several years for remarks made online.
Rowley’s move to change the law comes alongside the UK Labour government’s proposal to introduce digital ID – which could tie access to bank accounts and work to online speech.
Return to common sense policing?
The Telegraph’s source said Rowley “is proposing a shake-up of legislation that would give officers greater discretion to use ‘common sense’ when deciding whether to record and investigate complaints about comments on social media.”
The proposed change follows the arrest of comedy writer Graham Linehan, prompting the Metropolitan Police Chief to respond.
Responding to Linehan’s arrest, Rowley said on September 3 that a return to common sense was needed as a series of high-profile arrests over “non-crime hate incidents” was undermining public trust in the police.
He said the policies of successive governments had left the police in an “impossible position” over hate speech laws.
“I don’t believe we should be policing toxic culture wars debates,” Rowley added in a September 9 report, before claiming the police were not responsible for their actions.
“[O]fficers are currently in an impossible position. I have offered to provide suggestions to the Home Office on where the law and policy should be clarified.”
Telegraph journalist Allison Pearson, who was doorstepped by police last November for a tweet described as a “non-crime hate incident,” responded on September 9 by saying Rowley’s step towards defending free speech was “disingenuous” at best.
“At the risk of being arrested,” Pearson said, “I suggest Met chief Mark Rowley is a total muppet.”
Commenting on the recent arrest of comedian Graham Linehan for online speech, she added, “It is disingenuous in the extreme for the commissioner to say officers’ hands are tied in cases like that of Graham Linehan.”
Pearson explains that Linehan, famous for writing sitcoms, was arrested by five armed police after a “notorious trans activist” reported his tweets to police.
Rowley’s claim is that guidelines to police compel them to treat such appeals as crime reports, leaving no room for discretion.
Pearson then refers to the many real-life crimes to which British police do not routinely respond – even over decades:
It’s perfectly clear that the police have discretion to ignore complaints, even crimes, if they want to. Let’s see now:
Phone theft – ignored.
Shoplifting – essentially legal.
Carjacking – we’ll send you a crime number.
Burglaries – help yourself, lads!
Sexual harassment, child gang rape – er, sorry, cultural sensitivities.
Pearson concludes that the police chief is himself being dishonest – at best – in saying that speech crime laws tie the hands of officers.
For Sir Mark to claim that his officers were unable to use their common sense and ignore a complaint from a notorious trans activist about [Linehan] is to insult the public’s intelligence.
Baronness Winterbourne of the House of Lords responded, recommending that “[i]nstead of blaming Parliament for your officers’ inability to think for themselves intelligently, perhaps you might firmly tell them, please, to stop being stupid.”
As the latest Telegraphreport shows, government advice to police already exists – which has not prevented the policing of so-called “non-crime hate incidents.”
More than 13,200 non-crime hate incidents were recorded by police in the 12 months to June 2024, a similar number to the previous year, despite new guidelines requiring police to investigate only ‘when it is absolutely necessary and proportionate and not simply because someone is offended.’
Rowley was also recorded on a UK radio show defending the officers who carried out Linehan’s arrest.
Graham Linehan’s case is but one of many in which British people have been prosecuted for online speech. As the Free Speech Union reported in April 2025, new data showed that over 12,000 people in Britain are arrested for speech crimes every year.
Hitchens: Disband the police?
Peter Hitchens, a veteran conservative commentator and staunch Christian, spoke out on GB News – calling for the British police to be completely abolished and replaced.
Peter Hitchens calls for the police to be disbanded and rebuilt from scratch, accusing them of becoming 'a sinister menace to freedom of speech'.
'They’re not responsible for crime anymore. They’re a politically correct body who think they’re policing thought.' pic.twitter.com/EylPbMyviP
Hitchens, a devout Christian, said the British police should be “disbanded” as they have become a “sinister menace to the freedom of speech.”
“They’re not responsible for crime anymore,” Hitchens explained. “They’re a politically correct body who think they’re policing thought.”
He told GB News’ Michelle Dewberry that “the police don’t believe they should be doing what we think they should be doing. They do believe they should be arresting people for incorrect tweets. The only solution is to disband them and start again.”
Elsewhere Hitchens argued this was no novel development, saying this “new style of policing” went back 20 years.
Two-tier Keir Starmer
The embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer has long been accused of “two-tier” policing in cracking down on “far-right thugs” who commit online speech crimes.
As the murder of Charlie Kirk focuses attention on the toxic speech of the left, Britain’s justice system sees no evil when left-wingers call for the collective murder of people on the right.
Whilst former Conservative councilor Lucy Connolly received a 31-month sentence for an angry tweet about illegal migrants, a councilor for Starmer’s own Labour Party was found not guilty of incitement to violence after demanding that everyone he saw as “far right” be murdered.
Ricky Jones was declared innocent after publicly calling for his comrades to “cut the throats” of the so-called “disgusting Nazi fascists” who were protesting over the murder of children by a man of migrant heritage. Three girls were killed in Southport by a Rwandan youth last July. After stabbing the nine children in a frenzied assault, Axel Rudakubana told police, “It’s a good thing those children are dead.”
When angry protests broke out at the murders, Jones responded on video, saying of the so-called “far-right” protesters: “We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.”
Jones was freed, Connolly was jailed.
Talking of calls for violence,
Violent extremist RICKY JONES was released on bail until his trial in January despite the severity of his crime.
Protesters have been jailed for very minor crimes yet their vile ex Labour Party councillor gets totally different treatment.
— Antifa Public Watch official (@UnmaskedAntifa) October 23, 2024
Despite the obvious dangers in preferring the policing of speech to genuine threats and crimes, there seems to be no cause for concern from the point of view of Britain’s prime minister.
During Wednesday afternoon’s questions, Sir Keir Starmer was asked whether he would commit to revising speech laws to “ensure legitimate free expression is protected.”
Starmer replied with a stock response: “I’ve been clear throughout, we must ensure the police focus on the most serious issues and the issues that matter most to our constituencies and all communities.”
He ended by saying he was proud of Britain’s long history of free speech, which he said he would always protect.
“And that includes tackling issues like antisocial behavior, knife crime and violence. And we have a long history of free speech in this country. I’m very proud of that, and I will always defend it.”
The Utah Department of Public Safety has released photos depicting the person of interest connected to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Although law enforcement uncovered the rifle used to kill Kirk during a Wednesday event at Utah Valley University, a manhunt for the shooter remains ongoing. Authorities had initially detained two individuals at different times following the shooting but released them after determining neither was involved.
Authorities in Utah are looking for this man in relation to Wednesday’s assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
State of Utah with permission
The two blurry images, circulated by Utah DPS Thursday, depict what appears to be a white male wearing sunglasses, a hat, and dark clothing. Authorities have not officially confirmed the person of interest’s race, sex, or age.
The FBI is also offering up to $100,000 for “information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual(s) responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk.”
Authorities in Utah are looking for this man in relation to the Wednesday assassination of Charlie Kirk.
State of Utah with permission
The 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder and ally of President Donald Trump took a bullet to the neck while speaking at his “American Comeback Tour” on UVU’s campus. He was pronounced dead shortly thereafter, leaving behind his wife and two children under the age of five.
School authorities traced the shots to the roof of the Losee Center, about 200 yards from the outdoor event.
Kirk’s death sent shockwaves across the political sphere, with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle condemning the shooting Wednesday afternoon. Calling Kirk “a truly Great American Patriot,” Trump ordered all American flags to be lowered to half-mast until Sunday evening.
