1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I'm calling on you to support impeachment proceedings against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. His use of the Pentagon to advance Christian nationalist ideology violates the separation of church and state and threatens our national security. Hegseth has given pastors from the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches prominent platforms at Pentagon worship services. CREC co-founder Douglas Wilson, who preached at the Pentagon on February 17, teaches that civil authorities should enforce Old Testament law with death penalties for homosexuality and abortion. Hegseth's own pastor, Brooks Potteiger, appeared on a podcast where the host said of a Democratic candidate "I hope that God kills him" and Potteiger responded "We want him crucified with Christ." Hegseth himself has described moving to a CREC church as bringing him "a whole view of the world that has changed the way we think." At an April 17 war briefing, Hegseth compared journalists to Pharisees watching Jesus, echoing a sermon from his CREC congregation that preached "biblically informed hatred" and rejected the idea of hating sin but not the sinner. This extremist theology has no place in military leadership. Hegseth is basing war strategy on religious fanaticism rather than sound national security policy. Vote to impeach him now.