Pete Hegseth Endorses Pastor Who Promotes Execution Of Transgender Allies
U.S. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has appeared at least four times on Reformation Red Pill, a show hosted by Joshua Haymes, a former pastoral intern at the church Hegseth attends. Haymes is aligned with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (CREC), a denomination that advocates for public life shaped by biblical law.
What the host has been saying lately.
Across podcasts and posts on X, Haymes has argued that homosexuality is “uniquely evil” that “sodomy” and “crossdressing” are abominations, and that so-called “sexual sin” should be called out by Christians. On 28 June, he shared video of a Pride parade in Nashville and wrote, “We’re short on millstones at the Nashville Pride parade,” language drawn from Bible verses about drowning those who cause children to stumble. He has also praised Italy for banning gay couples from becoming parents, adding, “By the grace of God, we will see this done in these United States.”
The “trans allies” line and why people are alarmed.
In October 2024, Haymes posted that “mutilating children, or being an accomplice” should be a capital offence and cited Jesus to justify execution by drowning. Critics say this targets providers and family members who support gender-affirming care. Haymes later told reporters he does not advocate violence, but his posts continue to celebrate public executions as “biblical”.
I used to say homosexuality is no worse than other sins.
— Joshua Haymes (@haymes_joshua) August 5, 2025
All sin separates us from God after all!
I was wrong.
Sexual sin is uniquely evil.
Sodomy is an abomination to God, along with crossdressing (Deut. 22:5)
It’s important for Christians to say so.
Where Hegseth fits into this picture.
Hegseth has boosted Haymes’s content and appeared on the show multiple times. He also reposted a video from pastor Doug Wilson calling for anti-gay laws to be reinstated nationwide. The Pentagon’s press office recently said Hegseth “is a proud member of a church that is affiliated with the [CREC]… He is a very proud Christian and has those traditional Christian viewpoints.”
At DNA, we reviewed these statements and posts to understand the link between an active defence chief and a media figure endorsing punitive theocracy.
The ideology on the podcast…
Episodes featuring Hegseth discuss “sphere sovereignty,” a framework that treats government, church, and family as separate spheres under biblical authority, including Old Testament penalties. Analysts note this overlaps with modern Christian Nationalism. The Guardian has reported that Haymes also framed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids as “biblical,” minimised neo-Nazi threats, and cast liberalism as the nation’s most significant danger.
Hegseth is running the Pentagon. The host he platforms has argued for capital punishment for abortion and gender-related care and has posted about drowning Pride marchers. Those ideas do not sit quietly in a theology seminar. They set a public mood, influence policy talk, and tell queer families, teachers, doctors, and soldiers which lives are valued. If a defence secretary normalises voices calling for executions, what follows?
So, what happens next?
We ask the obvious question: will Hegseth keep appearing on Haymes’s platform or draw a line? We will keep tracking whether this rhetoric shows up in policy, staffing, training, or resource decisions. If you serve, teach, parent, or love someone who relies on inclusive institutions, this is not abstract.
What CREC and ICE mean, briefly.
CREC stands for Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a network influenced by pastor Doug Wilson and supportive of Old Testament standards in civic life. ICE is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency that conducts immigration enforcement actions.
We believe clarity helps. People deserve to know who shapes power, what they say in public, and how those ideas land on real lives. We will keep the receipts, and we will keep it plain.
Pete Hegseth gets heckled in DC after attending a church service. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/qNihcK9uZY
— Nurses Against Dick Pics. 🪷🇺🇦 (@ClaudetteGGibs1) August 25, 2025
