HEGSETH-LINKED PASTOR: 'BIBLE IS PRO-ICE RAIDS,' PUSHES PUBLIC EXECUTIONS

The Guardian reports that Joshua Haymes—a former pastoral intern tied to the CREC-aligned church community attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—has promoted extreme views, including claiming the Bible supports ICE immigration raids and advocating for public executions. Haymes has echoed “great replacement” rhetoric, praised white nationalist figures online, and urged harsh penalties for abortion and adultery, while Hegseth has appeared on and boosted Haymes’s podcast. Extremism experts quoted in the piece characterize the rhetoric as white supremacist and dangerous; Haymes provided email clarifications but largely reaffirmed his positions. The story raises questions about how hardline anti-immigrant and punitive ideas near senior officials may shape the policy climate.