Overview
- In a series of X posts, Joe Lonsdale advocated publicly hanging people after three violent convictions as a deterrent.
- He framed the idea as restoring “masculine leadership” to protect the vulnerable, criticizing what he called overly “feminine” governance.
- The exchange unfolded as Lonsdale backed Hegseth’s boast about sinking a “narco-boat,” with reporting noting at least 80 deaths from recent strikes and no public evidence that those targeted were smugglers.
- Journalists, academics and tech figures, including Gil Durán, Sean Carroll and Taulby Edmondson, condemned the remarks as authoritarian and evocative of mob violence.
- Lonsdale later called himself a “moderate” who supports due process before any public executions and there has been no retraction or official sanction reported.