Speak Out Against Christian Nationalist Extremism in Our Government

The symbols are not accidental. Pete Hegseth tattooed "Deus Vult" and a Jerusalem cross on his body, renamed the Department of Defense the "Department of War," and invited Christian nationalist Pastor Doug Wilson to lead worship at the Pentagon. The CPAC stage. The salutes. Neo-Nazis have infiltrated our government, and history is unambiguous: Nazism always leads to violence. You need to say so publicly. Robert P. Jones, founder of the Public Religion Research Institute, documents in his new book Backslide how Christian symbols were displayed throughout the January 6 insurrection — wooden crosses and "Jesus Saves" banners alongside Confederate flags — and how the House select committee report largely ignored them. That omission distorted public understanding of what actually happened that day. We cannot afford to repeat that mistake as the same iconography moves into the Pentagon itself. Jones warns that presenting the United States as a Christian nation at war with Islam creates radicalization propaganda for extremists. When the person controlling the most powerful military on earth believes he is God's instrument, that is not a culture war talking point. That is a national security crisis. Name it.