Overview of Pete Hegseth’s Holy War
This episode of The New Yorker’s The Political Scene (hosts Jane Mayer, Susan Glasser, and Evan Osnos) examines Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s rise, ideology, and how his brand of Christian nationalism is shaping Pentagon culture and U.S. military policy during the war with Iran. Guests include journalist Catherine Stewart, who has researched Christian nationalism and its organizational infrastructure. The conversation connects Hegseth’s personal history, religious commitments, rhetoric, and actions to broader concerns about the rule of law, civil‑military norms, press access, and the potential for religion to be used to justify military action.
Key points and main takeaways
- Pete Hegseth openly advocates that America is a Christian nation and has framed parts of the current conflict with Iran in religious terms.
- Hegseth’s rhetoric (e.g., “maximum lethality, not tepid legality”; “Department of War”) and conduct (prayer meetings at the Pentagon, Bible verses paired with military imagery) blur the line between religion and state power.
- He belongs to an extreme reformed-evangelical network (CREC / Pilgrim Hill, linked to Doug Wilson) whose theology includes anti‑democratic and patriarchal elements (e.g., critiques of women’s suffrage).
- Hegseth’s biography: national‑guard service post‑9/11, deployments to Iraq/Afghanistan, media career, public defense of service members accused of war crimes, alignment with Trump, and a religious conversion around 2018 during a period of personal turmoil.
- The episode raises alarm about institutional effects: sidelining traditional press corps, accrediting right‑wing influencers (one reportedly present on Jan 6), and multiple complaints from service members about commanders invoking apocalyptic theology to justify operations.
- Bigger implications: erosion of separation between church and state, weakening of legal and ethical restraints on military action, and mobilization of a Christian‑nationalist turnout and propaganda apparatus to sustain public support.
Who is Pete Hegseth? (background and trajectory)
- Early life: small‑town Minnesota, athletic/academic success, attended Princeton, conservative campus activist.
- Military service: joined the National Guard after 9/11; served in Iraq/Afghanistan.
- Media and politics: TV host (Fox), then entered politics allied with Trump after championing service members accused of war crimes (which resonated with Trump and led to clemency actions).
- Religious shift: converted into a hardline reformed‑evangelical community (CREC) ~2018; moved to Tennessee; active in Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship.
- Personal controversies: multiple marital histories and a 2017 sexual‑assault allegation (denied; settled out of court); tattoos (Jerusalem cross and “Deus Vult”) flagged him as an “insider threat” by some military colleagues after Jan 6.
- Current role: Secretary of Defense, rebranding the Pentagon (restrictions on mainstream press, monthly worship services at the building, and public embrace of aggressive war rhetoric).
What is Christian nationalism (as explained by Catherine Stewart)?
- Definition: both a mindset (belief America was founded as a Christian nation and should be governed by a reactionary interpretation of Christianity) and a machine (networked organizations that mobilize voters and pastors).
- Organizational features: pastoral networks, groups like the Council for National Policy, wealthy funders and leadership-driven coordination—functionally a powerful turnout and influence apparatus.
- Theology and politics: many leaders endorse patriarchal, theocratic ideas (e.g., critiques of the 19th Amendment and “head of household” voting) and frame politics as a spiritual struggle.
- Relationship with Trump: transactional and sacralized—religious leaders often framed Trump as a divinely enabled agent (King Cyrus analogy), despite his personal secularism; the movement values rule‑breaking power to achieve its goals.
How Hegseth’s beliefs are affecting the Pentagon and the war
- Religiousization of military messaging: videos and briefings that pair scripture with military imagery; prayer services at the Pentagon featuring leaders tied to extreme theology.
- Media and transparency: he limited traditional press access, proposed a stringent press code (rejected by major outlets), and staffed briefings with sympathetic influencers.
- Operational rhetoric and doctrine: promotion of “maximum lethality” over legal constraints; contempt for lawyers and rules of engagement; rhetoric that downplays or rejects international law and humanitarian constraints.
- Complaints and morale: Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) reported 200+ complaints from service members about commanders invoking end‑times theology; at least one allegation that troops were told Trump was anointed to precipitate Armageddon.
- Strategic consequences: poor planning assumptions for the Iran war (expectation of a quick decapitation, underestimation of Iranian leverage over the Straits of Hormuz), rapid expenditure of munitions and funds (over $11 billion noted), and potential long‑term strategic and material costs.
Notable quotes and phrases from the episode
- Hegseth at National Prayer Breakfast: “Our rights here... come from a loving and benevolent God, not government. America was founded as a Christian nation... we have a sacred duty 250 years on to glorify him.”
- Hegseth’s self-description/advocacy: previously wrote of an “American Crusade” and a “360‑degree Holy War for the Righteous Cause of Human Freedom.”
- Key rhetorical lines reported by hosts/guest: “maximum lethality, not tepid legality”; characterization of Pentagon as the “woke department” that must be purged; naming of the Iran campaign as “Operation Epic Fury.”
- Tattoos and symbols: Jerusalem cross (Crusader cross) and “Deus Vult” (“God wills it”), historically linked to Crusades and adopted by some white‑supremacist groups.
Risks, implications, and what to watch next
- Rule of law and norms: potential erosion of legal and ethical constraints on force; conflicts with oaths to the Constitution and established laws of war.
- Civil‑military separation: increased infusion of partisan and sectarian religious ideology into military institutions risks politicizing uniformed leadership and harming cohesion.
- Oversight and accountability: Congress, DoD inspectors general, and military justice organs will be crucial to monitor press access policies, rules of engagement, alleged religious coercion, and the legality of operations.
- Public messaging and recruitment: the pairing of religion with military aggression could alienate many service members and civilians and be exploited by adversaries for recruitment and propaganda.
- Policy and logistics: watch spending (munitions, operations), the sustainability of war plans, and diplomatic fallout over regional economic chokepoints (e.g., Straits of Hormuz).
Guests, hosts, and production notes
- Hosts: Jane Mayer (lead), Susan Glasser, Evan Osnos.
- Guest: Catherine (Katherine) Stewart — journalist and author of Money, Lies, and God (on Christian nationalism).
- Production: Producer Nora Ritchie; mixed by Mike Kutchman; executive producer Stephen Valentino; episode includes advertising reads and promos.
Takeaway
The episode argues that Pete Hegseth’s mix of personal grievance, militant theology, and political alignment with Trump has moved a once‑marginal Christian‑nationalist worldview into the heart of U.S. military power. That fusion raises urgent questions about legality, ethics, oversight, and the future of the Pentagon’s institutional norms during an active conflict.