Pentagon Chief Compares Reporters to Pharisees, Frames Trump Religiously
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth compared reporters to Pharisees at a Pentagon briefing and cast President Donald Trump in religious terms, drawing rebukes from journalists and clergy.
NBC NewsHegseth attacks 'unpatriotic' media and compares reporters to Jewish biblical group
TruthoutDefense Secretary Uses Bible Story to Bash “Trump-Hating” Press
RedStateThe Press Proves Secretary Hegseth Right About Being ‘Pharisees’ With a Failure of Biblical Proportions
Daily BeastPentagon Pete Doubles Down on Portraying Trump as Jesus
Overview
On Thursday Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth compared reporters covering the Iran war to the Pharisees and urged them to 'open your eyes' to the 'historic goodness' of the troops and President Donald Trump.
His remarks followed a president-posted AI-generated image portraying Trump with Jesus-like imagery that was deleted after backlash, and came amid an administration feud with Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war.
Journalism professor Bill Grueskin criticized Hegseth's understanding of journalists, former anchor Gretchen Carlson condemned using religion to shame questioners, and the Pope's account warned against manipulating religion.
Human rights groups report more than 1,700 civilians, including more than 250 children, have been killed and more than 3 million people have been displaced, while a Marist poll found 56% disapprove.
Hegseth departed without answering a reporter's question, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Hegseth as confrontational and hypocritical by highlighting his religious rhetoric, prior Fox role, and critics’ rebuttals. They use critical verbs, prioritize expert and former-Fox voices, and juxtapose his quotes with context about restricted media access, which collectively emphasizes skepticism about his attacks rather than presenting them neutrally.