Pentagon Faith Adviser Faces Scrutiny Over Past and Recent Social Media Posts
Qwenews.com – Ryan Higgins, a senior Pentagon adviser working on religious issues for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has drawn scrutiny for a lengthy record of racist, homophobic and anti-immigrant social media activity, as well as posts promoting conspiracy theories and attacking Islam.
Higgins has become an important figure in Hegseth’s circle since arriving at the Defense Department. People familiar with the department have described him as influential in the secretary’s use of Christian nationalist themes during speeches and public events, though others characterized him as one adviser among many.
His online record, spanning social media, video streams and archived blog entries over roughly a decade, includes comments about same-sex marriage, abortion, immigration and the relationship between religion and government. The posts offer a window into the views of an adviser involved in Hegseth’s effort to reshape the military’s cultural and religious posture.
Posts targeting minorities, LGBTQ people and immigrants
Among the material associated with Higgins is a defense of a video shared by President Donald Trump that portrayed Barack and Michelle Obama as apes. He also described same-sex marriage as “abominable” and made derogatory comments about former Vice President Kamala Harris, speculating about the number of abortions she may have had while citing her age and alleging she had a “long record of sleeping around.”
Higgins has argued that the constitutional concept of church-state separation is not real.
“Separation of Church and State does not exist”
In another post responding to tabloid coverage of alleged sex crimes involving immigrants in Europe, Higgins used inflammatory language about immigrants and white women.
“They act like barbarians, killing and raping our white women”
Some of the posts date to his work as a conservative activist before joining the administration. But his public comments did not stop after entering government service. More recent posts included attacks on what he called “the satanic cult of LGBTQ,” criticism of gay adoption as “buying babies,” and a description of abortion as:
“Demonic human sacrifice packaged as ‘women’s healthcare.’”
A growing role in Hegseth’s Pentagon agenda
Higgins joined the Pentagon in a senior faith-advisory position that had not existed in recent years. He is now connected to plans for an Office of Religious Affairs, an initiative Hegseth announced last month. Three people familiar with the effort said Higgins is a central participant in creating the office.
The position places Higgins near a defense secretary who has prominently incorporated his religious beliefs into official life at the Pentagon. Hegseth began holding monthly Christian worship services inside the building and invited speakers from evangelical circles. One invited pastor, Doug Wilson, has supported repealing women’s voting rights and argued that homosexuality should be criminalized.
In February, Higgins thanked Wilson for encouraging what he called the Pentagon’s “amazing Pentagon family.”
Multiple people familiar with Hegseth’s operations said Higgins has helped shape the secretary’s focus on culture-war issues and influenced some of his sharpest public rhetoric. That includes Hegseth’s February remarks before the National Religious Broadcasters, a Christian media convention. In that speech, Hegseth criticized the “Godless left,” praised “Western Christian” values and portrayed the administration’s cultural agenda as a restoration of the military’s religious foundation.
The degree of Higgins’ influence remains disputed. Some officials and people close to the matter described him as a significant force behind Hegseth’s messaging on faith and related policy. Two others said his authority has been overstated and stressed that he is only one voice in a broader group of departmental advisers.
Career in conservative politics and evangelical activism
Before taking his Pentagon role, Higgins spent years in conservative political and evangelical organizing. He first supported Ben Carson’s 2016 presidential campaign, then aligned himself with Trump’s political movement. In a blog post from that period, Higgins wrote that Christians needed to unite in order to defeat Hillary Clinton.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, he participated in efforts opposing restrictions on church gatherings and worked with conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He later held a senior faith-outreach job for Trump before moving to the Department of Defense.
His emergence as a senior religious adviser comes as Hegseth faces rising opposition to changes inside the Pentagon. The secretary’s culture-war agenda has contributed to the departure of senior military leaders and subject-matter specialists, including women and Black leaders. The dispute has raised broader questions about whether official Pentagon programs are being shaped by a narrow religious and political worldview.
The Defense Department defended Higgins’ work. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell called him a “valued member of the Secretary’s team” who “does an outstanding job serving as a senior adviser.”
“He has been completely focused on the spiritual health of our troops and the historic establishment of the Office of Religious Affairs.”
Parnell did not address the detailed posts individually. Higgins did not respond to requests for comment.
The controversy centers on more than an adviser’s old online statements. Higgins’ role in religious outreach, public messaging and the proposed Office of Religious Affairs means that his beliefs may carry consequences for how the Pentagon approaches service members, faith communities and questions of inclusion. The military serves people of many religious traditions and people with no religious affiliation, making the boundaries between personal belief, official policy and institutional neutrality especially consequential.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Separation of Church and State does?
Separation of Church and State does is the main topic of this guide. The article explains the context, practical details, and next steps readers should understand.
Why does Separation of Church and State does matter?
Separation of Church and State does matters because readers are looking for a useful answer, not just a short summary. Good content should match search intent and help them decide what to do next.