{"id":2437833,"date":"2025-05-22T08:43:01","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T12:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnn-freaks-out-over-prayer-hegseths-pastor-gave-at-pentagon-no-wonder-it-was-excellent\/"},"modified":"2025-05-22T08:46:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T12:46:15","slug":"cnn-freaks-out-over-prayer-hegseths-pastor-gave-at-pentagon-no-wonder-it-was-excellent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cnn-freaks-out-over-prayer-hegseths-pastor-gave-at-pentagon-no-wonder-it-was-excellent\/","title":{"rendered":"CNN Freaks Out Over Prayer Hegseth&#8217;s Pastor Gave at Pentagon: No Wonder &#8211; It Was Excellent"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcnn-freaks-out-over-prayer-hegseths-pastor-gave-at-pentagon-no-wonder-it-was-excellent%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2437833&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses a recent Christian prayer service hosted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, which has sparked controversy and criticism, particularly from CNN. The service, described as the first of its kind to be held by a Defense Secretary, was openly invited to Department of Defense (DoD) employees through an internal email and brochures. Critics, including former Air Force Lt. Col. Rachel VanLandingham, argue that Hegseth&#8217;s involvement constitutes a potential violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, suggesting that it reflects government endorsement of a specific religion. They point to the use of the DoD seal on promotional materials as an indication of official sponsorship. <\/p>\n<p>Supporters of the service, including Hegseth and Pentagon representatives, defend the event as a voluntary prospect for personnel to gather in prayer, arguing that the U.S. has a ancient tradition of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/live-10-am-et-orange-coast-christian-outreach-hosts-58th-annual-mayors-prayer-breakfast\/\" title=\"LIVE NOW: Orange Coast ... Outreach&#039;s 58th Annual Mayors ... Breakfast at 10 AM ET.\">seeking divine guidance<\/a>. The article highlights a debate on whether such <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newsom-backs-down-on-church-crackdown-following-supreme-court-smackdown\/\" title=\"Newsom Backs Down on Church Crackdown Following Supreme Court Smackdown\">religious activities<\/a> should be sanctioned by government officials, especially in a military context, and <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >mentions similar historical instances<\/a> where government officials endorsed religious activities. Despite the criticisms,Hegseth expresses intention for these prayer meetings to occur monthly,showcasing a divide in perspectives regarding the intersection of religion and government in America.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s good to see that CNN isn&rsquo;t taking long to freak out over the prayer service Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had his pastor host, finding &ldquo;a national security law expert&rdquo; to call it a &ldquo;clear violation&rdquo; of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.<\/p>\n<p>The headline itself was actually quite neutral, at least by <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2025\/05\/21\/politics\/hegseth-pentagon-christian-prayer-service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN<\/a> standards: &ldquo;Hegseth hosts first meeting of what he says will be a monthly Christian prayer service at Pentagon.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Go on X, and you&rsquo;d find Haley Britzky &mdash; who d a byline on the story with Natasha Bertrand &mdash; advertising it thusly:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Pete Hegseth hosted a &ldquo;Secretary of Defense Christian Prayer &amp; Worship Service&rdquo; at the Pentagon today with his pastor from Tennessee, in what lawyers told us was a &ldquo;clear violation&rdquo; of the 1st Amendment&rsquo;s prohibition on the US gov endorsing a religion<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GUniA9NjWa\">https:\/\/t.co\/GUniA9NjWa<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Haley Britzky (@halbritz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/halbritz\/status\/1925300910072238143?\">May 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Yes, apparently, it&rsquo;s time for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wasting-no-time-cnn-helps-call-biden-cognition-questions-ignored-due-cancer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN<\/a> to go Chicken Little about a prayer service, even though the reporters admitted that &ldquo;[w]hile the Pentagon offers routine religious accommodations and services to personnel of different faiths, none of them are broadcast live internally, held in the auditorium or hosted by the secretary.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;And none of them are advertised like the service held on Wednesday morning &mdash; the Pentagon sent an  to DOD employees reviewed by CNN encouraging employees to attend in-person, and to RSVP to a dedicated internal  address for the prayer services. A brochure entitled &lsquo;Secretary of Defense Christian Prayer &amp; Worship Service&rsquo; with details of the service was also handed out to employees as they entered the room.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A&nbsp;<em>brochure<\/em>! With a secretary of Defense who has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/answer-lord-savior-pete-hegseth-lights-media-shows-exactly-trump-chose\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">made it clear he&rsquo;s a Christian<\/a>! I don&rsquo;t see why this isn&rsquo;t before some judge in the D.C. Circuit Court with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/clarence-thomas-makes-point-day-supreme-court-hears-arguments-birthright-citizenship-case\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">universal injunction<\/a> against it already.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The service, which Hegseth told the audience would be a monthly event, was held in the Pentagon auditorium and broadcast live on the department&rsquo;s internal TV network. Current and former defense officials told CNN it was highly unusual for the secretary to host a religious event during the workday for a particular religion,&rdquo; CNN noted.<\/p>\n<p>And then there were the remarks given by Hegseth and his pastor, Brooks Potteiger of Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship in Tennessee.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is precisely where I need to be, exactly where we need to be as a nation at this moment, in prayer, on bended knee, recognizing the providence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,&rdquo; Hegseth said at the start of the service.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is something we plan to do on a monthly basis, on a voluntary basis, here in the auditorium. I hope you&rsquo;ll let those you work with know about it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>During the opening prayer, Potteiger thanked God for the president and other leaders He has &ldquo;sovereignly appointed&rdquo; and &ldquo;the way that You have used him to bring stability and moral clarity to our lands.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Thanking God for sovereignly appointing leaders and for &ldquo;stability and moral clarity&rdquo;? I dunno, sounds pretty good to us.<\/p>\n<p>It didn&rsquo;t sound good to retired Air Force Lt. Col. Rachel VanLandingham &mdash; that national security law expert they found, currently teaching at Southwestern Law School. She said that the seal of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/changes-needed-pete-hegseth-just-officially-booted-susan-rice-pentagon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Department of Defense<\/a> on the front of the brochure &mdash; that darned brochure again! &mdash; &ldquo;was indicative of Hegseth and the government&rsquo;s sponsorship of the event, and could be a violation of the the First Amendment&rsquo;s prohibition on the U.S. government endorsing a religion.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s sponsorship in the true sense of the word, outside of funding &mdash; he&rsquo;s advocating for this, he is putting his weight of the official Office of the Secretary of Defense behind a particular religious event and inviting someone to the Pentagon to conduct it,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;That&rsquo;s wrong.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>And she added that while the event was voluntary, Hegseth&rsquo;s involvement might violate the Pentagon policy, which states it creates a substantial burden on a service member&rsquo;s freedom of religion if it &ldquo;places substantial pressure on a service member to engage in conduct contrary to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-push-bill-aimed-at-balancing-lgbt-rights-and-religious-freedom\/\" title=\"House Republicans Push Bill Aimed at Balancing LGBT Rights and Religious Freedom\">sincerely held religious belief<\/a>.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Of course, folks in a rigidly hierarchical organization like the military think, &lsquo;Oh, it&rsquo;s optional, but when it&rsquo;s being sponsored by the [secretary of Defense], yeah, I better go&rsquo;&hellip; It&rsquo;s deeply problematic,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>Right. As someone on X pointed out in response, during World War II, then-President Franklin Roosevelt and the U.S. government issued Bibles to troops with the commander-in-chief&rsquo;s signature endorsing it, and nobody has really thought twice about this:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">In World War 2 the U.S. Government issued Christian Bibles to the troops, endorsed by the President, you historically-illiterate &ldquo;journalist&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/q5cmo1u29l\">https:\/\/t.co\/q5cmo1u29l<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/T3FDJCXlBw\">pic.twitter.com\/T3FDJCXlBw<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Michael Cassidy &#10013;&#65039; &#127482;&#127480; (@MichaelCassidy) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MichaelCassidy\/status\/1925356332489621569?\">May 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Nor, in fact, do Hegseth&rsquo;s staff think much of the CNN hyperventilating, either.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Office of the Secretary of Defense invited DoD personnel to attend a voluntary Christian prayer and worship service this morning,&rdquo; acting Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said via a statement.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Many different faiths have regular services in the Pentagon Chapel or elsewhere in the Pentagon. This service was an opportunity for Believers to appeal to Heaven on behalf of our great nation and its warfighters. Beseeching the Almighty has been an American tradition since George Washington prayed for our cause at Valley Forge.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The United States was then, and remains now, One Nation under God. At this time, OSD envisions that these prayer and worship services will be a monthly occurrence. Any participating civilian clergy are responsible for their own travel and accommodations expenditures.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>That may not be a prayer, but still: Amen. Keep at it, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/hysterical-dem-senator-embarrasses-screaming-pete-hegseth-sending-moms-combat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Secretary Hegseth<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s interesting to note that CNN quickly reacted to the prayer service hosted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his pastor, with a &#8220;national security law expert&#8221; labeling it a &#8220;clear violation&#8221; of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The headline was relatively neutral for CNN, stating: &#8220;Hegseth hosts first meeting of what he says will be a monthly Christian prayer service at Pentagon.&#8221; On X, Haley Britzky, who co-wrote the article with Natasha Bertrand, promoted it by saying: Pete Hegseth held a &#8220;Secretary of Defense Christian Prayer &amp; Worship Service&#8221; at the Pentagon today with his pastor from Tennessee, which lawyers indicated was a &#8220;clear violation&#8221; of the 1st Amendment&#8217;s prohibition on government endorsing religion. <\/p>\n<p>Yes, it seems CNN is alarmed about this prayer service despite reporters acknowledging that while the Pentagon provides religious accommodations for various faiths, none are typically broadcast live or hosted by high-ranking officials like the secretary. They noted that this particular event was advertised internally and included brochures handed out to attendees.<\/p>\n<p>The service took place in the Pentagon auditorium and was streamed on internal TV networks. Current and former defense officials remarked that it&#8217;s unusual for such an event to be led by a secretary during work hours for one specific religion. Hegseth opened with remarks emphasizing prayer&#8217;s importance in today&#8217;s context as well as announcing plans for future monthly services.<\/p>\n<p>During these prayers, Potteiger expressed gratitude towards leaders appointed by God and acknowledged their role in providing stability and moral clarity-sentiments some found troubling. A retired Air Force officer criticized Hegseth&#8217;s involvement as potentially violating policies regarding religious freedom within military ranks.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to current concerns over government endorsement of religion during events like these, some pointed out historical precedents where Bibles were issued to troops during World War II under presidential endorsement without much controversy.<\/p>\n<p>Hegseth&#8217;s team dismissed CNN&#8217;s concerns; they stated that various faiths hold regular services at the Pentagon and emphasized this gathering as an opportunity for believers to pray on behalf of their nation-a tradition dating back to George Washington<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2437834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Pete-Hegseth-5.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[50623,50410,45173,3761,11817],"class_list":["post-2437833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-cnn-2","tag-controversy-2","tag-hegseth","tag-pentagon","tag-prayer"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Pete-Hegseth-5.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2437833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2437833"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2437833\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2437837,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2437833\/revisions\/2437837"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2437834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2437833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2437833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2437833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}