Calling Out Defense Secretary Hegseth Over Use of Antisemitic Trope

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, I called out Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth over his use of an antisemitic trope against the media and Democrats. Hegseth has repeatedly used the term “Pharisees,” a deeply problematic term that has been used historically to depict Jewish communities as hypocritical or morally corrupt.

Here’s what I asked him:

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

“You keep doubling down on this phrase, Mr. Secretary. You compare journalists, you compare us, you compare so many to Pharisees. Pharisees, it’s a problematic and historically weaponized term that casts Jewish communities as hypocritical or morally corrupt, you doubled down again and said it. Words matter. Words matter. What you choose to say. How we choose to say it. How do you justify using this language as Secretary of Defense?

Words matter. It’s a hurt – historically hurtful term. Why do you continue to use it? And what actions are you taking to prevent rhetoric like this from permeating throughout the department that is going to target specific groups or individuals of people based on their religion?”

This was Pete Hegseth’s response:

“Senator, I feel like it’s a pretty accurate term for folks who don’t see the plank in their own eye and always want to see what’s wrong with an operation, as opposed to the historic success of preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. So I stand by it.”

After he tripled down on his use of this term with a history of being weaponized against Jewish communities, I called him out:

“You stand by calling people Pharisees? Sir, I cannot, I cannot stand for that. That is wrong. It is not respectful to people, and I expect anyone who is in leadership in our country to be respectful and use respectful terms and not be an antisemite.”

This rhetoric is unacceptable from our Secretary of Defense and another example of Hegseth being absolutely unfit to lead.

Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.