After working six months as a communications assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives with MAGA-aligned U.S. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Riley Podleski, 25, was named Assistant Press Secretary at the U.S. Department of Defense.
According to her LinkedIn profile, prior to moving to Washington, D.C. in January to work for Greene, Podleski worked as Assistant to the City Manager for the City of Aubrey, Texas (population 8,267), and as Director of Communications for a wedding event planner’s company in Dallas, and for Oasis Church in Rowlett, Texas.
As seen below, Podleski was ceremonially sworn in by Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell.
Yesterday, I was ceremonially sworn in by @SeanParnellATSD as Pentagon Assistant Press Secretary!
— Riley Podleski (@RileyPodleski) July 15, 2025
It’s an absolute honor to serve @PressSecDOD, @SecDef, & @POTUS.🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/vD2wzQ2Tco
Podleski is being congratulated on her new position and receiving warm welcomes from reporters in right-wing media, including Mike Glenn of The Washington Times, conservative podcaster Nick Sortor, and Vish Burra of The Matt Gaetz Show, who replied: “DoD Press Team stacking up All-Stars!”
I’m excited to share that I’ve launched my official @DeptofDefense Assistant Press Secretary account!🇺🇸
— Riley Podleski (@RileyPodleski) July 22, 2025
Give me a follow @RPodleskiDOD! pic.twitter.com/DquGzrCa3K
Podleski, a graduate of Liberty University, the private evangelical Christian university founded by Jerry Falwell in Lynchburg, VA, has made it known that she is a fan of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s monthly prayer service, which has raised constitutional “religious freedom questions” as the Washington Examiner reports. With the photo below, Podleski wrote: “Faith is back at the Pentagon.”
Faith is back at the Pentagon.🙏🏼
— Riley Podleski (@RileyPodleski) July 16, 2025
Standing room only today at @SecDef’s monthly prayer service.🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/v5JABCtpeY
Note: In May, Hegseth sent an email inviting everyone at the Pentagon to attend a Christian prayer service. Critics including Army combat veteran and On Democracy blogger Fred Wellman said the invitation “in the official Pentagon auditorium during duty hours in violation of the First Amendment and military regulations,” and “entanglement between church and state.”
Hegseth’s invitation did not make attendance mandatory, but Wellman contended that due to line of command protocol, “That isn’t a suggestion to most of them…it’s an order to join his religion.”
.jpg){kind=link}