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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth asked Pentagon officials to pray for “overwhelming violence” against enemies in Iran and elsewhere in the “name of Jesus Christ” at a Christian worship service on Wednesday.
The remarks, made at Hegseth’s monthly worship service — the first he’s held since the U.S. and Israel began their war on Iran — reinforced public concerns over his Christian nationalist views and his vows of unrestrained violence in the U.S.’s military operations.
Hegseth recited a prayer that he says was given by a chaplain to troops ahead of the U.S.’s illegal raid of Venezuela and kidnapping of then-President Nicolás Maduro in January.
“I pursued my enemies and overtook them. I did not turn back ‘til they were consumed. I thrust them through so that they were not able to rise. They fell under my feet,” Hegseth said. “And those who hated me, I destroyed. They cried for help, but there was none to save.” He called on God to “snap the rod of the oppressor” and “break the teeth of the ungodly.”
Hegseth called on Pentagon officials in attendance to repeat such prayers for American troops.
“Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy,” he said, calling for “justice to be delivered without remorse.”
“We ask these things in bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ,” he concluded.
Hegseth has been open about his support for an American-led repeat of the Crusades, in which Christians and Muslims fought in brutal Medieval wars. Faith organizations have previously criticized Hegseth for his extremist Christian nationalist views, saying that they erode religious freedoms and advance dangerous, white supremacist viewpoints at the top levels of government.
Many members of the Trump administration have invoked their Christian faith in reference to the Iran war, saying that their faith makes it necessary to fight against Muslim leaders in the country. They paint Iran as a country of “religious fanatics” while openly saying, themselves, that their Christian God calls on them to kill without mercy.
“Obviously, we’re fighting religious fanatics who seek a nuclear capability for some religious Armageddon. But from my perspective, I mean, obviously I’m a man of faith who encourages our troops to lean into their faith, rely on God. There’s no atheists in foxholes,” Hegseth said in an interview on “60 Minutes” earlier this month, ignoring that only 70 percent of U.S. military members identify as Christian and that there are also atheist and Muslim troops in the U.S.’s ranks.
Hegseth’s faith has also been under scrutiny this week after his pastor and closest spiritual adviser, Brooks Potteiger, prayed for Democratic politician James Talarico’s death in a podcast. “I pray that God kills him … Ultimately, that means killing his heart and raising him up to new life in Christ,” the podcast host said.
“Right, right,” said Potteiger. “We want him crucified with Christ.”
Hegseth’s remarks are starkly contrasted by those of faith leaders in relation to the war. Pope Leo XIV, for instance, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and an end to all violence in the Middle East — and this week, went as far as to call for a global ban on aerial bombings altogether.
“No one should fear that threats of death and destruction will come from the sky,” the pope said in remarks on Monday. “After the tragic experiences of the twentieth century, aerial bombardment should have been banished forever!”
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