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What A Day

For Hegseth, It’s One Military Under God

What A Day

What A Day

News, Daily News

4.6 • 12.6K Ratings

🗓️ 6 April 2026

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is inserting Christian nationalism into the culture and policy of the armed forces, and that’s drawing concern both inside and outside the military. The Pentagon had spent years making non-Christians feel more welcome, but as Washington Post religion reporter Michelle Boorstein explains, Hegseth has rolled back that work in favor of a particular brand of evangelical Christianity.

And in headlines, President Donald Trump shares an expletive-laden Easter message for Iran, U.S. Special Operations forces rescue Air Force members who were shot down, and the administration argues that construction of a $400 million ballroom is a matter of national security.

Show Notes:

Transcript

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0:00.0

It's Monday, April 6th. I'm Jane Koston, and this is one today, the show that has good news. You absolutely could eat your painted Easter eggs. Bad news. They'd still be hard-boiled eggs, the single lowest form of egg. So maybe it's better if you didn't.

0:35.0

On today's show, the Trump administration argues construction of its $400 million ballroom is actually a matter of national security.

0:38.8

And President Donald Trump shares a heartwarming Easter message. I would repeat it now,

0:43.4

but we're going to give you a little more time to cover your children's ears.

0:47.2

So let's start with Easter, as in the religious holiday. For billions around the world, Sunday

0:53.4

marked the Christian celebration of Easter.

0:55.6

In Vatican City, Pope Leo the 14th gave his first Easter Mass as pontiff and took the opportunity

1:01.1

to call for peace around the world. This interpretation is provided by Reuters.

1:08.5

Let those who have weapons lay them down.

1:15.5

Let those who have the power to unleash wars choose peace.

1:19.4

Not a peace imposed by force, but through dialogue.

1:24.1

Not with the desire to dominate others, but to encounter them.

1:26.8

Sounds pretty Christian to me.

1:29.5

But in the United States, religious belief is being used a little differently, particularly by politicians looking to give their actions a faithful

1:34.0

veneer. The Trump administration has repeatedly used Christianity, or more accurately,

1:39.3

Christian nationalism, against its enemies. And in the Pentagon, Secretary of War slash little boy,

1:44.1

Pete Higgs-eth, is putting Christian nationalism into both the culture, Secretary of War slash little boy, Pete Hegzeth,

1:44.7

is putting Christian nationalism into both the culture and the policy of the armed forces,

1:49.0

drawing a ton of concern both inside and outside of the military. As in York Times detailed

1:54.1

in March, Hegset has made it crystal clear that, as far as he's concerned, the war in Iran is

1:58.6

actually a war favored by God. And during a press conference of the Pentagon in March, he asked the American people to pray to Jesus Christ that the troops might be kept safe.

2:07.6

And I say the same to every American who wants peace through strength.

...

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