Pete Hegseth is opening an “Office of Religious Affairs” at the Pentagon under his direction, drawing alarms that the defense secretary is further eroding the church and state firewall and violating First Amendment protections.
Hegseth, who has explicitly framed the U.S. war with Iran through the lens of his faith, has repeatedly invoked scripture and Christian prayer while promising violence against his enemies. President Donald Trump’s defense secretary has also rejected the founding principle of the separation of church and state and believes there is a “spiritual battle” waging between Christianity and America.
