Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has sparked controversy after praying for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy” during a Christian worship service at the Pentagon. The service, held on Wednesday, was attended by military and civilian workers and marked Hegseth’s first such event since the Iran war began, according to the Associated Press.
The prayer, which Hegseth said originated from a military chaplain and was given to troops after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the US, also called for “every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation”. The remarks came a day after Hegseth announced sweeping changes to the military’s chaplain corps, which he claimed had been “infected by political correctness and secular humanism” and “watered down” to focus on “self-help and self-care” rather than faith.
Under the reforms, the number of religious affiliation codes for chaplains will be reduced from around 200 to 31, and chaplains will wear religious insignia instead of officer rank on their uniforms. Hegseth described the move as “making the chaplain corps great again”. He has instituted monthly prayer sessions at the Pentagon, all of which have been led by evangelical Christians, the AP reported.
Hegseth is a member of a church linked to the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches, founded by self-identified Christian nationalist Doug Wilson, who has himself led one of the Pentagon prayer services. The defence secretary’s blending of faith and duty has drawn criticism, with veterans warning it could foster division and weaken the military. Kristofer Goldsmith, an Iraq war veteran and CEO of Task Force Butler, told the Guardian last year: “We’re gonna see a lot of Christian nationalists join the military… they’re not gonna perform very well, and our national security will suffer.”
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed lawsuits against the defence and labour departments to access public records on the prayer services, citing concerns that federal employees may feel pressured to attend. “The federal government’s role is to serve the public, not to proselytise,” said President and CEO Rachel Laser, adding that the services occur amid a “campaign to punish anyone who doesn’t comply with its Christian Nationalist agenda”.
