Pentagon chief shares scandalous video about women

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently shared a video of several pastors saying women should no longer be allowed to vote, prompting one US progressive evangelical organization to express concern.

On Thursday, Hegseth reposted a CNN report about Pastor Doug Wilson, a Christian nationalist who co-founded the Idaho-based Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), in which the cleric advocates that women should not vote.

“I would like to see this nation a Christian nation, and I would like to see this world a Christian world,” Wilson said.

Toby Sumpter, another pastor interviewed by CNN, said: “In my ideal society, we would vote as a family. I usually cast my own vote, but I would vote after discussing it with my family.”

A parishioner interviewed for this issue noted that she considers her husband the head of the family, adding, “I really submit to him.”

Hegseth posted a nearly seven-minute report with the caption: “The Whole Christ for the Whole of Life.”

Later in the video, Wilson says he does not believe women should hold leadership positions in the military or be able to perform important combat missions.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Saturday that Hegseth “is a proud member of a church affiliated with CREC.”

"The Minister has great regard for Mr. Wilson's many works and teachings."

Hegseth and his family attended the dedication of Wilson's church in Washington, D.C., in July, CNN reported.

Doug Pagett, a pastor and executive director of the progressive evangelical organization Vote for the Common Good, told The Associated Press that the ideas in the video are views held by a "small group of Christians" and said it was "very disturbing" that Hegseth was promoting them.

Hegseth's repost on Thursday comes as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to promote Christian nationalism, The Guardian reports. The push follows Donald Trump's renewed alliance with the Christian right during his second term, which included an executive order creating a federal task force to investigate what he calls "anti-Christian bias" in government agencies.

In February, President Trump also created a White House Office of Religious Affairs, saying it would advise him “on changes in policies, programs, and practices” and consult with outside experts on “combatting anti-Semitic, anti-Christian, and additional forms of anti-religious bias.”

In May, Hegseth invited his personal pastor, Brooks Potteiger, to the Pentagon to lead the first of several Christian prayer services the defense secretary hosts at the government headquarters during business hours. Defense Department employees and service members said they received invitations to the event via email from the government.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government from establishing a state religion. But the Administrative Service of the U.S. Courts says the precise definition of “establishment” in this context has historically been unclear, especially since the Constitution also protects the right of all citizens to practice their religion generally as they choose.