Republicans Rage at 'Pentagon Pete' Hegseth Over 'Repugnant' Removal of Mormon Church From DOD Religion List
Lee argued that the government should not decide disputes between religious denominations and called for the list change to be undone.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYThe Daily Beast is an established national news outlet with an identified author and a record of reporting, though the available article provides limited detail about the outlet’s correction practices. Its source type supports a relatively strong institutional rating.
- Source type — Established national news publication.
- Editorial standards — The outlet publishes reported news, but this text alone offers limited evidence about its standards.
- Author attribution — The article names its author.
- Transparency — The article identifies quoted officials and says the Pentagon was contacted for comment.
The report includes direct statements from three lawmakers and a Defense Department spokesperson, and it describes the list change. It offers little independent context about the policy or its effects, and the Pentagon had not provided further comment when the story was published.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The report presents objections from three lawmakers and the department’s stated rationale, but it gives more space to the lawmakers’ criticism and includes no independent expert perspective or further Pentagon response.
- Counterarguments presented — The department spokesperson says the change is for administrative efficiency and not a judgment on faith legitimacy.
- Source diversity — The story quotes three lawmakers and one department spokesperson, without independent sources.
- Loaded language — The headline and some descriptions emphasize anger and condemnation.
- Omitted context — The article gives little context on how the new list was developed or how it will affect servicemembers.
The story uses mildly loaded language, including “rage” and “tirade,” and its headline foregrounds Republican criticism of Hegseth. It also includes the department spokesperson’s explanation, so the framing is only slightly tilted.
- Language tone — Terms such as “rage” and “tirade” heighten the conflict.
- Framing — The headline centers Republican anger at Hegseth and the removal.
- Source selection — The article quotes lawmakers criticizing the change and includes the department spokesperson’s explanation.
The Defense Department narrowed the religious identities servicemembers can select, leaving Mormonism off its list of Christian denominations. Utah Republicans Mike Lee, Mike Kennedy and John Curtis called for the decision to be corrected, while a department spokesperson said the change was intended to streamline chaplain support, not judge the legitimacy of religions.
The Defense Department reduced the religious identities servicemembers can list in their personnel records from more than 200 to 31. The new list includes 22 Christian denominations but not Mormonism. Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said the change was intended to help chaplains assess units’ religious composition and organize resources, not to judge the legitimacy of religions or create a list of officially approved faiths.
Sen. Mike Lee urged the department to reverse the change, arguing that the government should not weigh in on disputes between religious denominations. Rep. Mike Kennedy and Sen. John Curtis also said the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should be identified as Christian and called for a correction.
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Secretary of Defense associated with the department’s revised religious identity list
Hegseth's version of this story ↗Defense Department press secretary explaining the change
Senator objecting to the exclusion and seeking a correction
Representative calling for the department to correct its classification
Part of a bigger story
10 OUTLETSOutlets agree that Mike Lee objected to a Pentagon religious-affiliation list that placed the Latter-day Saint church outside its Christian category, and that the department later revised the codes after lawmakers pushed back. Left-leaning outlets frame Lee’s objection as a clash with the movement he supports and as evidence of religious exclusion. Center outlets focus on the disputed categories, the Pentagon’s stated rationale and Lee’s welcome for the revision.
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