March 06, 2026
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Freethought Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel Ranking Member Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) led 27 of their colleagues in requesting U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General Platte B. Moring III open an investigation into reports that servicemembers have lodged anonymous complaints about military commanders invoking religious prophecy and apocalyptic theology to justify the United States’ military actions in Iran.
“At a time when billions of dollars and untold numbers of lives hang in the balance while the Trump administration wages a war of choice in Iran, the imperative of maintaining strict separation of church and state and protecting the religious freedom of our troops is especially critical. We must ensure that military operations are guided by facts and the law, not end-times prophecy and extreme religious beliefs,” the lawmakers wrote.
The members went on to note the pervasive issue of extremist religious encroachment inside the military under the Trump administration, saying: “These allegations are also part of a broader political climate in which Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and senior civilian officials have publicly framed Middle East policy in explicitly religious terms.”
They then requested the DOD conduct an independent investigation to determine the accuracy of these reports and to “assess whether Secretary Hegseth’s extreme religious rhetoric has metastasized into segments of the military chain of command in ways that contravene constitutional protections, departmental rules and standards, or professional military norms.”
The members requested the DOD investigate and report back to Congress on several matters, including:
- Whether military commanders or other officers have made statements to subordinates asserting that U.S. military operations against Iran are part of a religious prophecy, divine plan, or apocalyptic religious event, and if so, where such communications originated within the chain of command.
- Whether any such statements constitute violations of Department of Defense policies, including DoD Instruction 1300.17 “Religious Liberty in the Military Services,” regarding religious neutrality, improper proselytizing, or abuse of command authority.
- The scope and geographic distribution of complaints received within the Department of Defense regarding religiously framed messaging related to the Iran conflict.
- Whether servicemembers who reported these concerns experienced retaliation or fear of retaliation within their units.
- What training, guidance, or oversight currently exists to ensure commanders maintain religious neutrality in operational briefings, command communications, and other official settings.
- Whether additional guidance or action is warranted to ensure that personal religious beliefs are not used to justify or frame U.S. military operations.
A full copy of the letter can be found HERE.
In addition to Huffman, Raskin, and Houlahan, the letter was signed by Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Sean Casten (IL-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Mike Levin (CA-49), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Dave Min (CA-47), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Emily Randall (WA-06), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
March 06, 2026
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressional Freethought Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) and House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel Ranking Member Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) led 27 of their colleagues in requesting U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Inspector General Platte B. Moring III open an investigation into reports that servicemembers have lodged anonymous complaints about military commanders invoking religious prophecy and apocalyptic theology to justify the United States’ military actions in Iran.
“At a time when billions of dollars and untold numbers of lives hang in the balance while the Trump administration wages a war of choice in Iran, the imperative of maintaining strict separation of church and state and protecting the religious freedom of our troops is especially critical. We must ensure that military operations are guided by facts and the law, not end-times prophecy and extreme religious beliefs,” the lawmakers wrote.
The members went on to note the pervasive issue of extremist religious encroachment inside the military under the Trump administration, saying: “These allegations are also part of a broader political climate in which Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and senior civilian officials have publicly framed Middle East policy in explicitly religious terms.”
They then requested the DOD conduct an independent investigation to determine the accuracy of these reports and to “assess whether Secretary Hegseth’s extreme religious rhetoric has metastasized into segments of the military chain of command in ways that contravene constitutional protections, departmental rules and standards, or professional military norms.”
The members requested the DOD investigate and report back to Congress on several matters, including:
- Whether military commanders or other officers have made statements to subordinates asserting that U.S. military operations against Iran are part of a religious prophecy, divine plan, or apocalyptic religious event, and if so, where such communications originated within the chain of command.
- Whether any such statements constitute violations of Department of Defense policies, including DoD Instruction 1300.17 “Religious Liberty in the Military Services,” regarding religious neutrality, improper proselytizing, or abuse of command authority.
- The scope and geographic distribution of complaints received within the Department of Defense regarding religiously framed messaging related to the Iran conflict.
- Whether servicemembers who reported these concerns experienced retaliation or fear of retaliation within their units.
- What training, guidance, or oversight currently exists to ensure commanders maintain religious neutrality in operational briefings, command communications, and other official settings.
- Whether additional guidance or action is warranted to ensure that personal religious beliefs are not used to justify or frame U.S. military operations.
A full copy of the letter can be found HERE.
In addition to Huffman, Raskin, and Houlahan, the letter was signed by Representatives Becca Balint (VT-AL), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Sean Casten (IL-06), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Jesús “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Mike Levin (CA-49), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Dave Min (CA-47), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Nancy Pelosi (CA-11), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Emily Randall (WA-06), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
LETTER FROM CAUCUS:
March 6, 2026
The Honorable Platte B. Moring III
Inspector General
U.S. Department of Defense
4800 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22350
Dear Inspector General Moring:
We write regarding recent reports of disturbing discourse within the military that the current
war in Iran is justified by biblical end-times prophecies. We write to request a full investigation
into any alleged incidents to reassure the American people that their military officers are serving
as professionals accountable to the Constitution.
Some commanders have reportedly told subordinates that the American and Israeli attacks
will hasten the return of Jesus Christ, and have cited passages from the Book of Revelation and
instructed officers to tell their troops that current combat operations are all part of God’s divine
plan.1
If accurate, these outrageous statements—justifying a war based on interpretations of
biblical prophecies, and informing troops that they are risking their lives to advance a specific
religious vision—raises not only glaring Constitutional concerns, but potential violations of
Department of Defense regulations regarding religious neutrality and breaches of professional
obligations and standards expected of military leadership. Members of the United States Armed
Forces swear an oath to support and defend our secular Constitution—not any specific religious
doctrines—and servicemembers must be able to carry out their duties free from coercive
religious messaging by their chain of command.
Our military, like our nation, reflects a diversity of religious beliefs and perspectives
including many non-Christians and non-religious individuals. The Department of Defense has
long recognized that proselytizing by commanders can undermine trust within units and erode
the professionalism that is essential to effective military operations.2
These allegations are also part of a broader political climate in which Secretary of Defense
Pete Hegseth and senior civilian officials have publicly framed Middle East policy in explicitly
religious terms.3
Public statements by administration officials and allies invoking biblical claims
about Israel and the region—along with rhetoric suggesting a prophetic or religious dimension to
geopolitical conflicts—risks emboldening similar messaging within military ranks.
We urge you to assess whether Secretary Hegseth’s extreme religious rhetoric has
metastasized into segments of the military chain of command in ways that contravene
constitutional protections, departmental rules and standards, or professional military norms. We
specifically request that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General investigate the
following:
1
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/03/us-israel-iran-war-christian-rhetoric
2
https://cdn.factcheck.org/UploadedFiles/2013/08/General-Order-1B1.pdf
3
https://jonathanlarsen.substack.com/p/us-troops-were-told-iran-war-is-for?
utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true
1. Whether military commanders or other officers have made statements to
subordinates asserting that U.S. military operations against Iran are part of a
religious prophecy, divine plan, or apocalyptic religious event, and if so, where such
communications originated within the chain of command.
2. Whether any such statements constitute violations of Department of Defense
policies, including DoD Instruction 1300.17 “Religious Liberty in the Military
Services,” regarding religious neutrality, improper proselytizing, or abuse of
command authority.
3. The scope and geographic distribution of complaints received within the
Department of Defense regarding religiously framed messaging related to the Iran
conflict.
4. Whether servicemembers who reported these concerns experienced retaliation or
fear of retaliation within their units.
5. What training, guidance, or oversight currently exists to ensure commanders
maintain religious neutrality in operational briefings, command communications,
and other official settings.
6. Whether additional guidance or action is warranted to ensure that personal
religious beliefs are not used to justify or frame U.S. military operations.
At a time when billions of dollars and untold numbers of lives hang in the balance while the
Trump administration wages a war of choice in Iran, the imperative of maintaining strict
separation of church and state and protecting the religious freedom of our troops is especially
critical. We must ensure that military operations are guided by facts and the law, not end-times
prophecy and extreme religious beliefs.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your commitment to accountability within
the Department of Defense.
Sincerely,
Jared Huffman
Member of Congress, Jamie Raskin
Member of Congress, Chrissy Houlahan
Member of Congress, Emily Randall
Member of Congress, Becca Balint
Member of Congress, Julia Brownley
Member of Congress, Derek T. Tran
Member of Congress, Mark Pocan
Member of Congress, Sean Casten
Member of Congress, Steve Cohen
Member of Congress, Rashida Tlaib
Member of Congress, Andrea Salinas
Member of Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton
Member of Congress, Dave Min
Member of Congress, Lizzie Fletcher
Member of Congress, Suzanne Bonamici
Member of Congress, Mike Levin
Member of Congress, Veronica Escobar
Member of Congress, Nanette Diaz Barragán
Member of Congress, Lloyd Doggett
Member of Congress, Bonnie Watson Coleman
Member of Congress, Nancy Pelosi
Member of Congress, Sara Jacobs
Member of Congress, Kelly Morrison
Member of Congress, Norma J. Torres
Member of Congress, Pramila Jayapal
Member of Congress, Zoe Lofgren
Member of Congress, Eric Swalwell
Member of Congress, Ilhan Omar
Member of Congress, Jesús G. "Chuy" García
Member of Congress
