Pete Hegseth’s ‘Pharisees’ Slam Reveals Deep Religious and Political Weaponization

At a recent briefing on the Iran war, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth veered off script to label the American news media “Pharisees,” accusing them of “relentlessly negative coverage” driven by political animus against former President Trump. Hegseth’s biblical reference came from a story in the New Testament where Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees criticize him for breaking religious rules despite witnessing a miracle.

Hegseth cast the “Pharisees” as self-appointed elites who ignore goodness to push their agenda, equating them with the “legacy Trump-hating press.” He doubled down on the term, calling reports about poor Navy food “FAKE NEWS from the Pharisee Press,” and even his Department of Defense’s social media echoed the slur.

This choice of language is no accident. The Pharisees were a Jewish sect in the first century known for their strict religious practices and devotion to sanctity in daily life. Yet, Christian scriptures often depict them as hypocritical opponents of Jesus, a portrayal that has long fueled anti-Jewish sentiment. Scholars like Amy-Jill Levine and Craig E. Morrison emphasize that the negative stereotype is a selective and historically weaponized reading of the Pharisees, ignoring their respected role in Jewish society.

Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen called out Hegseth’s use of “Pharisees” as “hurtful” and “problematic,” highlighting how the term has been used to demonize Jewish people under the guise of religious critique.

Brian Kaylor, author of The Bible According to Christian Nationalists, notes that the New Testament’s portrayal of Pharisees as mere antagonists serves a theological agenda rather than providing a balanced historical account. The real target of such rhetoric is not the Pharisees themselves, but dissent and criticism — in this case, from the press holding the Trump administration and its allies accountable.

Hegseth’s invocation of this loaded term reveals a broader pattern: weaponizing religious language to delegitimize media scrutiny and shield authoritarian actions from accountability. By framing journalists as ideological enemies akin to ancient religious adversaries, Hegseth attempts to rally his base around a narrative of persecution and righteousness.

This is not just about one word. It is about how power uses history and faith to silence dissent and rewrite the narrative. We must call it out for what it is — a dangerous conflation of religious prejudice and political propaganda designed to undermine democratic oversight.