MAGA media personality Steve Bannon is urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “have a military briefing” — and scale back on the religious rhetoric that has started to overshadow his statements on the Iran war.
Bannon, who once served as an advisor to President Donald Trump, argued on his War Room podcast Thursday that Hegseth’s frequent religious references are a distraction from operational details being shared by military leaders during these briefings.
During what was supposed to be a briefing on U.S. operations against Iran on Thursday, Hegseth launched into a biblical tirade against journalists over their coverage of the war. He compared the press corps to Pharisees, or a group of ancient religious scholars who are often depicted as enemies of Jesus in the New Testament.
“The legacy Trump-hating press, your politically motivated animus for President Trump nearly completely blinds you from the brilliance of our American warriors,” Hegseth said.
Bannon lauded Gen. Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, for doing a “magnificent job” explaining the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during the briefing, but said that information was overshadowed by Hegseth’s religious messaging.
“My observation or recommendation: I don’t think I would start that with some references to the New Testament,” Bannon said in an episode posted Thursday.
“That’s all the mainstream media is covering right now, is Pete’s opening remark about the Gospel according to Mark and the reference to the Pharisees, which is, I think, great,” he continued. “It’s just when are you going to do it? I would not do it because it…it steps on what’s important.”
He later added, “My two cents: We ought to tone that down and focus, when we got the Pentagon, let’s have a military briefing.”
Hegseth, a frequent critic of the American media, has long turned to Christian language to discuss the war. Both Hegseth and Trump referred to the Easter Sunday rescue of a downed airman in Iran as a miracle.
During a prayer service last month, Hegseth prayed for troops to deliver “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”
He was also mocked on social media after appearing to quote a fictional Bible verse from Pulp Fiction during a prayer service Wednesday at the Pentagon.
The defense secretary’s attempt to compare the D.C. press corps to antagonists of Jesus comes as Trump has shared numerous religious-themed images of himself on social media this week.
On Sunday, Trump posted an AI image on Truth Social portraying himself as Jesus in flowing robes and healing a sick man with beams of light coming out of his hands. In the image, Trump is surrounded by patriotic symbols, including an American flag, the Statue of Liberty and eagles.
The image was posted amid a Truth Social rant where Trump also lashed out at Pope Leo XIV, after the Chicago-born pontiff spoke critically about the conflict in Iran.
Trump later deleted the image following intense criticism from religious groups and right-wing conservatives. He also claimed to have thought the image portrayed him as a doctor, not Jesus.
Yet days later, Trump reposted another image that appeared to be AI-generated. The image shows him being embraced by Jesus, with the two men posed in front of a halo of light and an American flag.
He wrote along with the Wednesday post: “The Radical Left Lunatics might not like this, but I think it is quite nice!!! President DJT.”
