Pete Hegseth shares video opposing women's voting rights
3 Min Read
The US Defense Secretary's move came under fire, having shared a video by pastors from the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches opposing women’s voting rights.
-
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks during a television interview outside the White House Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Washington (AP)
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently shared a video featuring several pastors arguing that women should no longer be allowed to vote, which has led to concern from one progressive evangelical organization.
On Thursday, Hegseth reposted a CNN segment on X that featured pastor Doug Wilson, a Christian nationalist and co-founder of the Idaho-based Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), discussing the idea of restricting women's voting rights.
In the CNN segment, pastor Doug Wilson, who advocates for Christian nationalism, stated, "I would like to see this nation being a Christian nation, and I would like this world to be a Christian world." Another pastor interviewed for the segment, Toby Sumpter, added, "In my ideal society, we would vote as households. I would ordinarily be the one to cast the vote, but I would cast the vote having discussed it with my household."
Later in the video, Wilson expressed his opposition to women holding leadership positions in the military or serving in high-profile combat roles, stating his belief that such roles should be reserved for men.
A congregant interviewed for the segment stated that she views her husband as the head of their household, saying, "I do submit to him."
Controversial seven-minute report
Hegseth shared the nearly seven-minute report on social media, captioning it: "All of Christ for All of Life."
In a statement on Saturday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell noted that Hegseth "is a proud member of a church affiliated with" the CREC, adding that "the secretary very much appreciates many of Mr Wilson’s writings and teachings."
According to CNN, Hegseth and his family attended the inaugural service of Wilson's church in Washington this past July.
Doug Pagitt, a pastor and executive director of the progressive evangelical organization Vote Common Good, told the Associated Press that the ideas presented in the video represent views held only by "small fringes of Christians," calling it "very disturbing" that Hegseth would amplify such rhetoric, according to The Guardian.
In May, Hegseth arranged for his personal pastor, Brooks Potteiger, to conduct the first in a series of Christian prayer services at the Pentagon during work hours, with defense department employees and service members reporting that they received official government email invitations to attend the event.
