Hegseth's Religious Adviser Shared Racist, Anti-Muslim and Homophobic Posts

Ryan Higgins, the senior religious adviser to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, shared years of racist, anti-Muslim and homophobic social media posts while helping shape the Pentagon's religious messaging and a new office dedicated to religious affairs, according to a CNN investigation published October 27.

The Pentagon defended Higgins as a "valued member of the Secretary's team," without directly addressing the posts documented by the investigation. His role places him close to Hegseth's efforts to promote Christian religious themes within the military, raising questions about the separation of religious advocacy from the armed forces' obligations to personnel of different faiths.

A Decade of Inflammatory Posts

CNN reviewed hundreds of social media posts, livestreams and archived blog entries spanning roughly a decade. Although many of Higgins's most extreme statements predated his appointment, he continued expressing similar views after joining the Pentagon.

In January 2026, responding to a Daily Mail article about crimes involving immigrants from Muslim-majority countries in Europe, Higgins accused migrants of "destroying the entire planet" and claimed they were "killing and raping our white women." In other posts, he described Islam as teaching "death to all who do not comply" and called some immigrants "Absolute animals."

He also argued that the U.S. should admit only people who "love our nation and wish to ASSIMILATE to OUR culture." Thousands of active-duty U.S. service members are Muslim, placing his rhetoric in direct tension with the military's religiously diverse workforce.

Higgins's posts extended beyond immigration and Islam. He described same-sex marriage as "abominable," referred to "the satanic cult of LGBTQ" in March 2026 and characterized same-sex adoption as "two dudes buying babies." He also told transgender people to "Stop playing dress up, get some help, find Jesus."

His views on religion and government were similarly explicit. In June 2026, he amplified a statement declaring that "Separation of Church and State does not exist" and separately posted "THIS IS A CHRISTIAN NATION." He also described the declining White population of New York City as "Insanity."

Obama Video, Abortion and the 2020 Election

Higgins defended a video Trump shared on Truth Social depicting Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, calling it "funny, probably a little bad taste considering the Office" and noting that Trump "made Biden a monkey too."

He called abortion "Demonic human sacrifice packaged as 'women's healthcare'" and urged women to "Get married young and have more babies than you can afford."

After the 2020 election, he declared "Biden, guess what? You didn't win." More recently, after joining the Pentagon, heading into the midterms, he wrote: "I have exactly 0% faith in our elections… Time to fire them all…wait…we can't because the elections are fake."

Role in Hegseth's Religious Agenda

Higgins has become an influential figure in Hegseth's efforts to bring Christian nationalist themes into his public statements, according to several sources who spoke to CNN. Those sources credited him with helping craft the Defense Secretary's increasingly pointed religious language, although two other sources characterized him as one of several advisers rather than a dominant voice.

Higgins's background includes work in conservative political and religious activism. He initially supported Ben Carson's 2016 presidential campaign, later urged Christians to unite against Hillary Clinton and organized opposition to COVID-era restrictions on churches in collaboration with Charlie Kirk and Turning Point Faith.

He subsequently served as national executive director of faith engagement for Donald Trump's political operation, founded The Tempus Collaborative and became a longtime anti-abortion activist.

In February 2026, Hegseth delivered a speech to the National Religious Broadcasters in which he attacked the "Godless left" and celebrated "Western Christian" values. CNN's sources said Higgins helped shape the messaging surrounding Hegseth's public religious advocacy.

Higgins also publicly thanked pastor Doug Wilson for encouraging what he called the "amazing Pentagon family." Wilson has said women should not have the right to vote.

A New Office Reporting Directly to Hegseth

Hegseth announced the Pentagon's Office of Religious Affairs on September 30, 2026, during his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico. A memorandum issued that day established the office, which reports directly to the Defense Secretary.

The office is intended to provide "first-class religious support," absorb the Armed Forces Chaplains Board and engage with Congress and religious endorsing organizations. Its director has not been named.

In announcing the initiative, Hegseth said troops must put on "the full armor of God" because "the real battle is spiritual." He has also hosted monthly Christian worship services inside the Pentagon.

Higgins has emerged as a central figure in efforts to establish the new office, according to sources cited by CNN. The position gives his work a potential institutional reach beyond the Defense Secretary's speeches, although the precise scope of his influence remains disputed.

Pentagon Defends Adviser as Concerns Mount

A Defense Department spokesperson said Higgins was a "valued member of the Secretary's team" who "does an outstanding job serving as a senior adviser."

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Higgins had focused on the spiritual health of service members and the "historic establishment" of the Office of Religious Affairs. The department's response did not address the social media posts identified by CNN. Higgins did not respond to the news organization's requests for comment.

The controversy comes amid warnings from military chaplains, former senior officers and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation that the new office and the administration's religious messaging could undermine the military's pluralistic and nonpartisan character.

Critics have raised concerns about the religious freedom of non-Christian service members and the potential consequences for unit cohesion if official messaging is perceived to favor one faith.

The central question is whether an office intended to support the spiritual needs of military personnel can maintain that role while operating under leadership promoting explicitly Christian themes. Higgins's documented statements have brought that tension into sharper focus.