Trump-Appointed Commander Urges Troops to Fight for 'God's Divine Plan'

Revelation of extremist Christian rhetoric raises concerns about military judgment and potential for escalation.

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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A combat unit commander under former President Trump reportedly urged noncommissioned officers to motivate U.S. troops by telling them that Trump had been 'anointed by Jesus' and that the conflict with Iran was 'all part of God's divine plan' to bring about Armageddon and Biblical End Times. This disclosure sparked hundreds of complaints from service members across all branches of the armed forces to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation.

Why it matters

Integrating extremist religious rhetoric into military operations is deeply concerning, as it is incompatible with sound military judgment and strategic conduct of warfare. It risks generating fighters motivated by crazed zealotry rather than tactical reason, making diplomatic solutions impossible and potentially escalating conflicts to the point of catastrophic violence.

The details

The combat unit commander reportedly told noncommissioned officers to tell troops that Trump had been 'anointed by Jesus' and that the conflict with Iran was 'all part of God's divine plan' to bring about Armageddon and Biblical End Times. This sparked hundreds of complaints to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a group that works to defend the religious freedom of military personnel.

  • The comments from the combat unit commander were made this week.

The players

Pete Hegseth

The current Secretary of War, who is a rabid evangelical Christian and raging alcoholic with no understanding of limits. He proudly integrates his personal faith into his government role, opening Pentagon events by giving 'all glory to God'.

Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF)

A group that works to defend the religious freedom of military personnel, and received hundreds of complaints about the combat unit commander's comments.

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What they’re saying

“Extremist Christian rhetoric is utterly incompatible with any sound judgment, much less strategic conduct of warfare. It is the precise opposite. It's how you get kamikaze combatants eager to die for the cause and send body counts soaring.”

— Ray Richmond, Author (rawstory.com)

“If you're talking about Armageddon and the End Times, you're referring to termination of the world, as cited in the Book of Revelation, and a renewed Creation while welcoming the return of Christ.”

— Ray Richmond, Author (rawstory.com)

The takeaway

Integrating extremist religious rhetoric into military operations poses grave risks, as it can lead to fighters motivated by zealotry rather than reason, make diplomatic solutions impossible, and potentially escalate conflicts to catastrophic levels. This revelation highlights the need for a strict separation of church and state within the U.S. armed forces.