Follow Us

SOCOM 'inclusion' chief reassigned to new duties pending investigation into anti-Trump memes

The executive recently was hired to be the first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at U.S. Special Operations Command.

Published: March 30, 2021 6:42pm

Updated: March 30, 2021 6:52pm

The U.S. Special Operations Command has reassigned its new diversity chief, Richard Torres-Estrada, to new duties while he is investigated for spreading anti-Donald Trump memes and comparing the former president to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, a spokesperson told Just the News.

"Mr. Torres-Estrada has been assigned to other duties pending the results of the investigation," SOCOM spokesman Ken McGraw wrote in a Tuesday email.

Torres-Estrada recently was hired to be the first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the command, known as SOCOM. The Tampa, Florida-based SOCOM launched an investigation into the officer's posts when they became public.

The command did not specify where the executive had been reassigned, nor what his duties now entail.

Torres-Estrada had shared a number of political posts that some considered to be improper, coming from a government official.

One meme on a Facebook page that appears to belong to Torres-Estrada features a photograph of a saluting Hitler juxtaposed with a photo of Trump holding up a Bible in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church. Another meme is a photo of Trump surrounded by quotes attributed to former advisers calling Trump "an idiot," "a dope," and "a moron."  

Another meme purports to be a "missing" poster for Sen. Ted Cruz, describing him as having "weird" facial hair and as having left his state "in the middle of a natural disaster."

Just the News Spotlight