Pete Hegseth to headline DC faith rally with far-right and Christian nationalist speakers

Key Points:

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will headline Rededicate 250, a faith rally on the National Mall linked to the White House, featuring speakers described by experts as Christian nationalists or extremists, including a Detroit pastor who called the Democratic platform "demonic" and a rabbi who defended torture.
• The event's lineup excludes Muslims, representatives of historically Black churches, Indigenous faith leaders, and mainline Protestants, reflecting a narrow Christian nationalist perspective aligned with Trump-era religious figures and ideologies.
• Hegseth’s background includes anti-Muslim rhetoric and advocacy for a militarized Christian crusade, and he is affiliated with the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, whose pastors have called for controversial policies such as outlawing mosques and restricting voting rights.
• Several speakers, including televangelist Jentezen Franklin and rabbi Meir Soloveichik, promote a supernatural worldview tied to Christian Zionism, with Soloveichik endorsing torture of terrorists and framing hatred of enemies as a religious duty.
• Other featured speakers like Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell promote claims of Democratic "demonic" influence and election fraud, while longstanding Christian right figures such as Eric Metaxas have expressed willingness to fight violently to overturn the 2020 election results.