US Defense Secretary Hegseth reposts video of pastors saying women shouldn’t be allowed to vote

Washington: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has come under scrutiny after sharing a video on X that included pastors calling for women to be stripped of their right to vote. The repost, made on Thursday night, underscored his personal ties to Christian nationalist pastor Doug Wilson, known for hardline views on religion and gender roles.

The nearly seven-minute CNN report that Hegseth shared examined Wilson, cofounder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC). It featured one pastor from Wilson’s church urging the repeal of women’s voting rights from the Constitution, while another advocated for a system where households would cast a single vote. A female congregant in the piece said she “submits to her husband.”

Hegseth captioned the repost with the phrase, “All of Christ for All of Life.” The post has since attracted more than 12,000 likes and 2,000 shares. Reactions online were sharply divided, with some agreeing with the pastors’ statements and others expressing alarm over the defence secretary endorsing Christian nationalist rhetoric.

Doug Pagitt, pastor and executive director of progressive evangelical group Vote Common Good, told The Associated Press the beliefs expressed in the video are held by “small fringes of Christians” and described it as “very disturbing” that Hegseth would promote them.

Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed Hegseth is “a proud member of a church” affiliated with CREC and that he “very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson’s writings and teachings.”

Hegseth’s association with Wilson’s circle has been evident in the past. In May, he invited his personal pastor, Brooks Potteiger, to the Pentagon to lead the first of several Christian prayer services he has organised inside the building during work hours. Invitations were sent to Defence Department staff and service members via official government email.

In the CNN report, Wilson said, “I’d like to see the nation be a Christian nation, and I’d like to see the world be a Christian world.” 

(With inputs from AP)