Beyond financial gains and McDonald’s, Donald Trump appears to have a strong affection for a “big, beautiful” wall. Currently, the government is investing billions of taxpayer dollars to realize the president’s vision of erecting 30-foot steel bollard barriers and advanced surveillance systems along the US-Mexico border.
However, the Trump administration seems less supportive of the principle of separation between church and state. While the president promotes bibles as a secondary venture, his personal devotion appears limited, favoring material wealth instead. Nonetheless, his administration includes numerous individuals with fervent religious beliefs, intent on transforming the nation into a Christian theocracy.
A prominent figure in this movement is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host. When he is not making controversial comments about various societal groups, he takes on the persona of a megachurch pastor. Hegseth, who has been married three times and faced allegations of rape in 2017 (which he denies), embraced Christianity only recently, joining an evangelical church in 2018. He is now focused on infusing his religious beliefs into the Pentagon, framing military operations in Iran as a contemporary crusade and establishing monthly prayer gatherings.
In these gatherings, Hegseth sometimes merges themes from popular culture with biblical references, and at other times, he calls for “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.” This interpretation of Christianity appears to stray from the teachings of Jesus, who emphasized love and forgiveness.
This week, Hegseth escalated his religious initiatives by launching a new Pentagon Office of Religious Affairs, which will report directly to him. He stated that the military is donning “the full armor of God.” While the Pentagon claims it will not mandate religious participation, Hegseth’s efforts to integrate Christianity within the armed forces raise significant concerns. Americans United for Separation of Church and State, an organization that has previously sued the Pentagon over its worship services, expressed alarm, stating that Hegseth is advancing a Christian Nationalist agenda within the military.
The implications of this agenda extend beyond the military sphere. Hegseth maintains connections with Doug Wilson, an extremist pastor and self-proclaimed Christian nationalist who believes in restricting women’s voting rights. During an NPR interview, Wilson indicated that his vision for a Christian theocracy in the United States may take around 250 years to materialize but emphasized a step-by-step approach. His current priorities include banning abortion and same-sex marriage. Although Wilson is not widely recognized, figures like Hegseth are rapidly bringing his views into the mainstream. Hegseth invited Wilson to lead a worship service at the Pentagon in February and has amplified a video in which the pastor advocates for women’s submission to their husbands.
Concerns are not limited to Hegseth and his extremist associations. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley openly declared in a speech that he supports Christian nationalism and has been working to restrict access to abortion medications based on these beliefs. House Speaker Mike Johnson also has strong ties to Christian nationalist ideologies. Meanwhile, JD Vance recently appeared on an evangelical podcast, proclaiming his commitment to doing “God’s work” and expressing indifference about the potential implications of an apocalyptic future.
Although I identify as an atheist, the current trajectory of events makes the prospect of an end to this administration increasingly appealing. One can only hope it begins with the conclusion of their rule.
Nineteen states, along with Washington DC, have enacted shield laws that protect healthcare providers who prescribe and distribute abortion medications such as mifepristone and misoprostol to individuals in states where abortion is restricted. However, these protections are facing challenges: three attorneys general from anti-abortion states—Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas—have initiated a lawsuit with the US Supreme Court to contest these laws. Consequently, some activists are circumventing the legal and medical systems, using volunteers to obtain abortion pills internationally and distributing them through community support networks across the nation. As one activist stated to Mother Jones, “It really doesn’t matter what [state and federal authorities] do legally – we will continue.” They added, “There may come a time where we are one of the only, if not the only, option for the nation.”
In a recent article, Rebecca Shaw humorously addressed the buzz surrounding Margot Robbie’s decision to adopt the surname Ackerley, noting the typical discussions about tradition and personal choice. Instead of engaging in this discourse, Shaw proposed a practical solution for how married couples might select a surname.
New York is among the 19 states that have “voluntary intoxication” laws, which some argue function as a loophole allowing sexual offenders to evade accountability. Under these laws, victims who were voluntarily under the influence of drugs or alcohol cannot claim mental incapacitation during an assault unless they can prove they were unconscious or physically helpless. Following the publicized allegations of gang rape at Cornell University, scrutiny of this law has intensified. Prosecutor Matthew Van Houten indicated that the victim’s voluntary drug use contributed to the decision not to pursue criminal charges. New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized this aspect of the law and appointed Attorney General Letitia James to oversee the case after losing faith in Van Houten’s judgment.
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