Pentagon clarifies Secretary Hegseth's repost on women's right to vote
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrives for an event at the White House on Aug. 7 in Washington, D.C. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
A Department of Defense official faced pressure Thursday to reaffirm Secretary Pete Hegseth's commitment to women's right to vote after the Pentagon chief reposted a video of a pastor saying the opposite.
Why it matters: Reposting the video is a part of a growing list of controversial moves Hegseth has made toward women amid his effort to purge the military of "wokeness."
What they're saying: "Of course the Secretary thinks that women should have the right to vote," Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson told reporters on Thursday.
- "I'm not going to litigate every single aspect of what he may or may not believe in a certain video," she said.
Catch up quick: In the video, CNN interviews Christian Nationalist Pastor Doug Wilson, of Christ Church, and pastors from other churches.
- One of the pastors in the video, Toby Sumpter, said that families should vote as a household. "And I would ordinarily be the one to cast the vote," he said. "But I would cast the vote having discussed it with my household."
- A separate pastor said he would support repealing the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.
- Hegseth reposted the video with the comment, "All of Christ for All of Life," leading to questions about the secretary's views on women's rights.
- Hegseth attends a church in the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a church network Pastor Wilson co-founded.
Wilson, of the Pentagon, said at the press conference that Hegseth "very much appreciates many of Mr. Wilson's writings and teachings."
- The Pentagon referred Axios to Wilson's press conference when reached for further comment.
Zoom out: The secretary has repeatedly come under fire for his stances on women in the military, and has previously said that the military "allowed itself to go woke."
- Generals and admirals "involved in any of the DEI woke s--t has got to go," Hegseth said.
- The secretary removed the first woman to lead the U.S. Naval Academy, Vice Adm. Yvette Davids last month, removing her before the end of her expected three-year term.
Homeland Security announced the removal of Adm. Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead the U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, who served as the U.S. military representative to the NATO Military Committee, was fired earlier this year.
- Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to serve as the highest-ranking officer of the U.S. Navy was also removed.
Go deeper: Another top Hegseth adviser leaves the Pentagon
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include Doug Wilson's church, which is part of his Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches. An earlier version referred to it as the Congregation of Reformed Evangelical Churches.
