The tension between the US military establishment and the mainstream press reached a significant fever pitch recently, highlighted by remarks from US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Hegseth, who is a prominent political figure and a former Fox News host appointed by President Donald Trump, has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of how the media covers the ongoing military activities, specifically those related to the flare-ups involving Iran and its proxies.
During a press briefing at the Pentagon, Hegseth did not mince words, dismissing the journalistic output as an “endless stream of garbage.” His critique was not merely operational but deeply polemical, suggesting that the coverage lacked any sense of patriotism and was fundamentally designed to undermine the successes of the US military forces. He claimed that despite the ‘historic and important success’ of the operations, the press was relentlessly negative in its reporting.
To underscore his argument and lend it a dramatic, almost prophetic flair, Hegseth drew a vivid parallel between modern investigative journalists and the Pharisees of the Bible. The Pharisees, as described in scripture, were historical opponents of Jesus, often characterized as self-appointed intellectual elites. Hegseth extended this comparison, stating that while the reporters were present to ‘witness’ the military reality—the ‘literal miracle’ of the American military’s success—they were only there to ‘explain away the goodness in pursuit of their agenda.’ This biblical allusion was intended to strip the media’s critique of any perceived objective validity, framing it instead as a motivated effort rooted in antagonism toward the administration.
Hegseth’s remarks deepened a pattern of anti-media rhetoric that has defined much of the political discourse emanating from the Trump orbit. Earlier in his tenure, he had already accused various outlets of disseminating “fake news” and engaging in a coordinated effort to “downplay progress, amplify every cost and call into question every step.” His commentary also specifically addressed the reporting on US casualties, such as the six reservists killed in Kuwait, asserting that the media utilized these deaths to “make the president look bad.” The continuous stream of such criticisms suggests a profound and lasting fracture between the administration’s narrative and the current journalistic consensus.
Furthermore, this heightened rhetoric is situated within a broader trend where religious interpretations are increasingly woven into the public face of US foreign policy and military matters. Several high-ranking officials and military commanders have reportedly begun framing the geopolitically charged events in unmistakable biblical terms. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), for instance, has reported instances where officials have described President Trump as a harbinger of the Second Coming and viewed the regional conflict using apocalyptic language, such as describing it as a ‘signal fire’ for Armageddon. This intertwining of deep religious significance with active military policy has marked the administration’s public statements on Iran and surrounding conflicts, giving the spectacle an uncharacteristic and intensely spiritual dimension.