Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s push for a more evangelical presence in the military is alarming to many, except the God-fearing man himself.
According to a recent report by The Guardian, military members are breaking ranks to express concern about burgeoning neo-Nazi and far-right sentiment as the secretary of defense pushes out extreme Christian nationalist content.
“Every time Hegseth does one of these things, I’m getting messages from active duty troops, reaching out to me more and more, saying ‘How do I get involved?’,” Kristofer Goldsmith, an Iraq war veteran and the CEO of nonprofit Task Force Butler, told The Guardian. The organization examines extremism in the military.
“We’ve got active-duty troops who recognize that the military they’re serving in, has become a threat to democracy,” Goldsmith said.
But if you ask Hegseth and the Department of Defense, they say that’s all “trash.”
“Appealing to Heaven is a long-standing tradition in our military dating back to GEORGE WASHINGTON,” the DoD wrote via X on Monday in response to the article. “If the fake news wants to attack [Hegseth] for leading with faith, they’re not just wrong—they’re standing against the very history and spirit of America,” the tweet claimed.
As for the godly content, Hegseth and his social media team have been working overtime to sneak in Bible verses and mentions of God throughout military content.
“I pursued my enemies and overtook them,” text plastered over a video posted to the Pentagon's social media account read, referencing a verse from the Book of Psalms. “I did not turn back till they were destroyed.”
The post’s caption read, “We Are One Nation Under God.”
Of course, all of this makes sense coming from a man who is heavily tattooed with evangelical and other more problematic images.
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A look at Hegseth’s religious affiliation reveals that the former “Fox & Friends” host has long been a member of the extremist church run by Christian nationalist pastor Doug Wilson.
Wilson’s church pushes concepts like removing women’s right to vote or serve in the military, which Hegseth has reposted and endorsed in the past.
It sure seems that Hegseth and his ilk’s mission is to rid the military of women and transgender people while calling it all God’s will.
