At Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence 'against those who deserve no mercy' [View all]

https://apnews.com/article/pete-hegseth-pentagon-christian-worship-service-30db48b6ceb8af5e6172fb3ba2eafaa0

At Pentagon Christian service, Hegseth prays for violence ‘against those who deserve no mercy’
By TIFFANY STANLEY
Updated 2:58 PM CDT, March 25, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, hosting his first monthly Christian worship service at the Pentagon since the Iran war began, prayed Wednesday to have “every round find its mark.”

“Every month it is fitting to be right here,” he told the gathered civilian employees and uniformed military personnel. “All the more fitting this month, at this moment, given what tens of thousands of Americans are doing right now.”

He read a prayer he said was first given by a military chaplain to the troops who captured then-President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.

“Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” Hegseth prayed during the livestreamed service. “Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”

Hegseth frequently invokes his evangelical faith as head of the armed forces, depicting a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes with military might.

“I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed,” he read from the Psalms on Wednesday.

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"Kill them all, rape their women and enslave their children. And then kill them. And kill some more. Praise Jesus"