Pete Hegseth’s Pastor Spouts Toxic Views on Women While Influencing Pentagon Policy

Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of War Defense, surrounds himself with ministers who seem to specialize in offensive, regressive rhetoric. Doug Wilson, Hegseth’s pastor and spiritual advisor, recently gave an exclusive interview to the U.K.’s Times in which he unleashed a tirade against women that is as disturbing as it is revealing.

Wilson, who co-founded the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches—the same denomination Hegseth belongs to—called the Archbishop of Canterbury being a woman “appalling.” He also doubled down on his belief that women should not have the right to vote, a stance that is as archaic as it is dangerous.

The pastor’s misogyny didn’t stop there. Wilson ranted about the “moral catastrophe” of women’s clothing choices in public, claiming that women who dress provocatively are “degrading the currency” of their own bodies. He compared this to conservative Muslim practices of “bundling” women up, dismissing both as different forms of degradation. This kind of toxic thinking is not only offensive but also deeply harmful, especially coming from someone who holds spiritual sway over a top Pentagon official.

Hegseth’s close relationship with Wilson is more than symbolic. Wilson has preached at Pentagon prayer sessions mandated by Hegseth, and the defense secretary regularly consults him on “spiritual matters.” Since Hegseth took charge, the Pentagon has reportedly seen a pattern of blocking women from promotions, suggesting that Wilson’s anti-woman ideology may be influencing military personnel decisions.

This disturbing alliance fits into a broader pattern of the Trump administration’s embrace of authoritarian, anti-democratic, and anti-women attitudes. The administration’s use of pseudo-religious rhetoric to justify military actions—like the recent war moves against Iran—has sparked nearly 200 complaints from troops across 40 military branches about the mixing of religion and warfare.

Wilson himself justified the war framing by calling Iran a “wicked, wicked place.” But his own rhetoric and influence raise serious questions about the values guiding the Pentagon under Hegseth’s leadership.

In a time when military leadership should be focused on inclusivity, integrity, and professionalism, Hegseth’s association with a pastor who openly disparages women’s rights and dignity is a glaring red flag. The Pentagon deserves better than this toxic spiritual influence.