Hegseth says U.S. must defend freedom of Christians to worship

The Washington Times ^ | Friday, November 14, 2025 | Bill Gertz

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Says Pentagon ready to act in Nigeria, elsewhere if ordered by president to end persecution

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Friday that the United States must defend persecuted Christians in Nigeria and other parts of the world facing harsh treatment for their beliefs.

“President Trump has made clear that the United States will always defend the right of Christians to freely worship here at home and around the world,” Mr. Hegseth told The Washington Times. “As a Christian, this is also very important to me and my family.”

Mr. Hegseth, a conservative Christian, said in a statement that the Defense Department, under its new name of the Department of War, “condemns the persecution against Christians that has taken place in Nigeria — and numerous other countries — and is fully prepared to act whenever called upon by the commander-in-chief.”

Congress has not confirmed the new name for the Pentagon or Mr. Hegseth’s new title, secretary of war.

The comments come in response to questions posed to the secretary about a growing global crackdown on Christians who are facing severe persecution in Nigeria, China, South Korea and elsewhere.

The defense secretary said he believes it is important to speak out against the persecution of Christians.

Mr. Hegseth said before becoming the top Pentagon leader that his faith and patriotism are intertwined.

“To me, patriotism is not about love of government. It’s about love of our founding ideals that have pursued a more perfect union from the very beginning,” he told the Nashville Christian Family magazine in 2023. “It goes back to basics for me as a Christian: love of God and an understanding that my freedoms come from God — not from government — and that this nation was created as an experiment in self-governance and human freedom that every generation must...”

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TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Religion
KEYWORDS: foxnewsweekendhost; highlyunqualified; spammingfr; whiskeypete

[Steely Tom]

Drifting...

[ComputerGuy]

Danger, Will Robinson!

[Son-Joshua]

Very few “journalist” report the FACT that Christians are the targets of harassment and threats. Didn’t figure in my lifetime that we would be living within the times of what Jesus said in Matthew 24.

Lord I pray that You will protect those leaders who want to protect Christians.

[Night Hides Not]

Dare I ask, where does this fall within our national security interests? These little escapades into hotspots gnaw at our ability to defend the country.

[SpaceBar]

Sooner or later the scourge of domestic islam will have to be addressed.

That particular can is being kicked down the road for now.

[PROCON]

As much as I liked Hegseth when he was at FOXNEWS, in his new position he's showing everyday that he's way over his head and ill-suited, especially after that prank of gathering all the Generals & Admirals together for his inane egomaniacal me-me speech.

I wish Trump had nominated Gen. Flynn.

[MinorityRepublican]

As much as I liked Hegseth when he was at FOXNEWS, in his new position he's showing everyday that he's way over his head and ill-suited, especially after that prank of gathering all the Generals & Admirals together for his inane egomaniacal me-me speech.

Evidence?

I think he's doing a great job. He's getting rid of Obama's woke generals.

[EQAndyBuzz]

“ Sooner or later the scourge of domestic islam will have to be addressed.”

Time for the next Crusades.

[Kazan]

Does that include Christians in Syria?

[Kazan]

Sooner or later the scourge of domestic islam will have to be addressed.

We should be doing that here by banning or severely curtailing Muslim immigration and deport Islamic radicals.

As far what's going on elsewhere, why is it our business to the world's policeman?

[Glad2bnuts]

It is NOT THE BUSINESS OF THE US to defend Christians in a far off land. Send in Mormom missionaries, give them guns.

[Glad2bnuts]

100% agree. The reason we have so many problems to solve, is we go everywhere to “fix” countries, and end up screwing them up, feel “guilty, then let them inside OUR country. AMERICA FIRST AMERICA FIRST.

[itsahoot]

You can't defend Islam and Christianity you have to pick one because they have and it is not Christianity, even in Texas.

Islam is a form of tyrannical government disguised as a religion and that religion cannot swear allegiance to the Constitution because their allegiance is to the Quran, that is a requirement to be a citizen or government position. Christians on the other hand have to obey government laws and regulations.

[itsahoot]

It is NOT THE BUSINESS OF THE US to defend Christians in a far off land.

Do you think it is not our job to protect Christians here as well?

[Fledermaus]

I disagree 100%