Pete Hegseth Compares Rescued Airman to Jesus Christ Rising From the Dead in Controversial Easter Briefing

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth sparked controversy on Monday by comparing a rescued American airman to Jesus Christ rising from the dead during a White House Easter briefing that critics say blurred the line between faith and military operations.

Hegseth used explicitly religious language to describe the dramatic recovery of an F-15E Strike Eagle weapons system officer who had evaded capture in Iran for nearly 48 hours after his aircraft was shot down on Good Friday.

'You see, shot down on a Friday, Good Friday, hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday and rescued on Sunday,' Hegseth told reporters. 'Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday, a pilot reborn. All home and accounted for. A nation rejoicing. God is good.'

Airman's First Message Was 'God Is Good'

The wounded airman, identified only by his callsign Dude 44B, scaled rugged mountain ridges while being hunted by Iranian forces before activating his emergency transponder. His first transmission to rescue teams carried a simple three-word message.

'When he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple and it was powerful. He sent a message: God is good,' Hegseth said. 'In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and fighting spirit shone through.'

The comparison drew swift criticism on social media. Rep. Seth Moulton, a Marine combat veteran from Massachusetts, observed that Trump's officials were 'praising Trump like he flew the mission himself.'

Radio host Rick McCain called the remarks 'unbelievable', adding, 'He's going to try to compare the Resurrection of Jesus Christ to a rescued airman. How hypocritical. The man knows no shame!'

Hegseth's Christian Nationalism Under Scrutiny

The briefing reignited concerns about Hegseth's promotion of Christian nationalism at the Pentagon. He hosts monthly evangelical worship services in the Pentagon's auditorium and has invited self-described Christian nationalist pastor Doug Wilson to preach there.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed a lawsuit last month alleging Hegseth is 'abusing the power of [his] government position and taxpayer-funded resources to impose [his] preferred religion on federal workers.'

At a recent Pentagon prayer service, Hegseth prayed for American troops to inflict 'overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.'

Trump Threatens Infrastructure Strikes Today

The Easter press conference also featured Trump reiterating threats to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure. The president has given Tehran until 8 p.m. Eastern Time today to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face severe strikes.

'Every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,' Trump said.

The International Committee of the Red Cross issued a statement warning that 'deliberate threats, whether in rhetoric or in action, against essential civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities must not become the new norm in warfare.'

European Council President António Costa echoed those concerns, declaring that 'targeting of civilian infrastructure, namely energy facilities, is illegal and unacceptable' under international law.

More than 100 international law experts from universities including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford signed a letter warning that US conduct in Iran 'raises serious concerns about violations of international humanitarian law, including potential war crimes.'

Iran's Foreign Ministry accused Trump of threatening 'the normalisation of war crimes and genocide.'

The conflict, now entering its sixth week, has sent oil prices surging past $114 (£86.23) per barrel and pushed US petrol prices above $4 (£3.03) per gallon.