Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon Prayer Leader Calls Women in Yoga Pants ‘Sluts’

Doug Wilson, a 72-year-old pastor from Idaho known for his extreme views, recently gained attention after being invited by Pete Hegseth, the US war secretary and former Trump ally, to lead prayers at the Pentagon. Wilson’s latest salvo against women is a blog post where he brands women who wear yoga pants as “sluts,” equating their choice of clothing with moral degradation.

Wilson, founder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), a fringe religious group that has expanded into Washington DC and plans UK branches, has long pushed a strict, patriarchal vision of female modesty. His church requires female congregants to wear long skirts and cover their hair, and he singles out yoga pants as emblematic of immodesty and moral failure. According to Wilson, women who wear such clothing are “giving it away to every slob on the bus,” degrading themselves and the “currency” of female attraction.

This kind of slut-shaming is not just about clothing but about control and fear. Wilson’s rant reveals a deep-seated anxiety about women’s autonomy and bodies — especially when women dress for comfort or strength rather than male approval. As the article’s author points out, many young women today dress in baggy hoodies and jeans, deliberately avoiding the sexualized clothing that the culture has long policed. Yet Wilson and others like him still seek to police women’s choices, weaponizing religion to shame and silence.

The fact that Pete Hegseth, a prominent figure with ties to the Trump administration, invited Wilson to pray at the Pentagon signals how these regressive, misogynistic attitudes are given a platform in government spaces. It’s a stark reminder that the abuse of power in this administration extends beyond policy to the very culture of respect and dignity — or lack thereof — afforded to women.

At a moment when women face ongoing attacks on their rights and autonomy, Wilson’s comments are more than just offensive rhetoric. They represent the kind of authoritarian, controlling mindset that thrives on shaming and silencing women under the guise of morality. We should call out this toxic nonsense wherever it appears — especially when it’s endorsed by those in power.