Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s senior religious adviser is just as bigoted as he is, if not more.
CNN reported that Ryan Higgins, who has closely advised Hegseth since he assumed office, has used his social media platforms to spread racism, homophobia, Islamophobia, and xenophobia. Before joining the Pentagon, Higgins worked with Ben Carson’s 2016 presidential campaign, as well as with Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk.
In 2024, Higgins, who calls himself an “American Settler” on X, posted that “Islam teaches death to all who do not comply.” In January, he wrote that “violent illegal immigrants and even many ‘asylum seekers’ are destroying the entire planet. This is not just an America issue. They act like barbarians, killing and raping our white women.” The very next month, he called immigrants “absolute animals” who “by definition and action, have no interest in assimilating and embracing the culture. These people many times come from barbaric cultures which has no place in the western world.” And in February, he asked, “How long until the monarchy is dethroned by Muslims?”
In January, he begged American Christians to vote or “lose America forever.” This summer, he claimed that “separation of church and state does not exist,” and said that the WNBA had a “hatred for Christianity.”
Higgins also doesn’t think women should have actual jobs or get abortions.
“No ‘career’ will ever give you the fulfillment you’re looking for that can only be found from being a mother,” he wrote in May. “Don’t believe the lies.”
“If you are still claiming this is a ‘lump of cells’ you’re a retard and a liar,” he said of those with pro-choice views. “Anyone who takes a life should be charged with murder.... I’s that simple. Heck, we teach our kids not to squish ants because they are God’s creation, and yall are chopping up babies. Disgusting.” He also compared abortion to human sacrifice, and that those who received them were akin to Satan.
Higgins has also railed against the LGBTQ community, calling them a “satanic cult.” And back in 2020, Higgins proclaimed that “while there are some pockets of racism in this country and every country on earth, there is NOT a ‘systemic racism’ issue in the US.”
This is the top spiritual adviser to a man who can essentially drop bombs on whoever he wants whenever he feels so inclined. It’s no surprise that the person with Hegseth’s ear also thinks he’s some kind of modern white crusader sent to save America from infidels (anyone who isn’t white or Christian or heterosexual or a housewife).