Hegseth Draws Biblical Parallel, Compares Journalists to the Pharisees

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth drew a pointed biblical comparison this week, likening members of the Washington press corps to the Pharisees — the ancient Jewish religious authorities who, according to the New Testament, opposed Jesus of Nazareth. The remark, delivered during public comments directed at reporters covering the Pentagon, accused the press of being unpatriotic and hostile toward the administration’s agenda.

Hegseth’s biblical framing tapped into a rhetorical tradition long associated with religious conservatism. In the Gospels, the Pharisees are depicted as religious scholars and legalists who challenged Jesus over interpretations of Mosaic law, a portrayal that has made the term a shorthand in Christian discourse for hypocrisy and rigid orthodoxy. By invoking the comparison, Hegseth aligned criticism of mainstream journalism with a narrative familiar to many evangelical audiences — one in which institutional gatekeepers are portrayed as obstacles to a righteous cause. Hegseth, who has authored books discussing Christian nationalism and what he describes as an American cultural crisis, has previously drawn on similar imagery in speeches and media appearances.

The relationship between the Pentagon and the press corps has been strained since Hegseth took office in January 2025. The Department of Defense has rotated several legacy outlets out of dedicated workspace inside the Pentagon, reassigning those spots to newer media organizations, and has imposed new credentialing rules requiring journalists to pledge not to solicit unauthorized disclosures of information. Hegseth himself became the subject of intense scrutiny earlier in the year over the so-called “Signalgate” episode, in which sensitive operational details about strikes in Yemen were reportedly shared in a commercial messaging app group that inadvertently included a journalist. That incident triggered congressional hearings and inspector general reviews, and it intensified friction between the Secretary and reporters covering his department.

What happens next will likely depend on whether the Pentagon formalizes any additional restrictions on press access and how congressional oversight committees respond. Democratic members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have already signaled concern about transparency at the Department of Defense, while Republican leadership has largely defended Hegseth’s stewardship. Observers will also be watching whether Hegseth’s rhetorical approach — blending theological references with political combat — becomes a more prominent feature of administration messaging heading into the 2026 midterm cycle.