1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I am writing to express profound alarm over the conduct, rhetoric, and ideological posture of U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The behavior and public record associated with the nation’s top defense official reflect a pattern of Christian nationalist extremism that is reckless, destabilizing, and profoundly dangerous for both American service members and global security. The Secretary of Defense is entrusted with leading the most powerful military force on Earth. That responsibility requires discipline, strategic judgment, and respect for the diverse world in which our troops operate. Instead, Secretary Hegseth has repeatedly embraced language and symbolism rooted in religious warfare. He authored a book titled American Crusade, invoking the medieval religious wars that devastated the Middle East and Europe. He has publicly written that Islam “is not a religion of peace.” Reports have surfaced that he drunkenly chanted “Kill all Muslims” at a veterans’ event in 2015. He bears tattoos associated with the Crusades, including the Jerusalem Cross and the phrase “Deus Vult”—the battle cry of the First Crusade. Most recently, he reportedly added a tattoo reading “كافر” (“kafir”) in Arabic—an intentionally provocative term in Islamic discourse. These actions are not neutral personal expressions. They are symbols historically associated with religious conquest and hostility toward Muslims. There are roughly two billion Muslims in the world. Many live in regions where American troops are currently deployed. Our military depends on partnerships with Muslim-majority nations, cooperation with Muslim allies, and the trust of local communities. When the U.S. Secretary of Defense appears to frame global conflict through the lens of a religious crusade, it places American service members at heightened risk and undermines U.S. diplomatic and military credibility. Equally troubling are the ideological networks surrounding Secretary Hegseth. His reported spiritual mentor, Doug Wilson, has publicly argued that non-Christians should not hold positions of leadership and has promoted views that reject women’s political equality and call for severe punishments for LGBTQ people. These views are fundamentally incompatible with the Constitution the U.S. military swears to defend. This is not a matter of partisan politics. It is a matter of national security. The United States military serves a pluralistic nation and operates in a world of many cultures, faiths, and governments. Its leadership must reflect constitutional values—not sectarian ideology. When the Secretary of Defense publicly aligns himself with rhetoric and symbols historically tied to religious war, it sends a message to the world that America’s military leadership views global conflict as a holy struggle. That perception can inflame tensions, strengthen extremist propaganda, and place American personnel in direct danger. Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to conduct immediate oversight. The American people deserve clear answers: • Do Secretary Hegseth’s statements and associations reflect the worldview guiding U.S. defense policy? • What safeguards are in place to ensure religious extremism does not influence military strategy? • Does the Department of Defense believe that rhetoric invoking crusades and religious warfare is compatible with its mission? Our armed forces swear an oath not to a religion, but to the Constitution of the United States. That distinction is the foundation of American democracy and the legitimacy of our military around the world. Christian nationalism has no place directing U.S. military power. Religious war rhetoric has no place shaping U.S. defense policy. And leadership that appears to embrace those ideas threatens the safety of the very service members it claims to support. YOU must address this issue with the seriousness it demands. The stakes are nothing less than the safety of American troops and the credibility of the United States on the global stage.