Brooks Pottegier A pastor connected to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ignited a political firestorm after appearing on a podcast and praying for the “death” of a leading Texas Democrat. The shocking remarks surfaced during a recent episode of the podcast “Reformed Red Pill,” where the pastor and a Christian nationalist commentator discussed a U.S. Senate campaign in Texas. During the broadcast, the two men prayed what they described as “imprecatory psalms” against Democratic politician James Talarico. Those prayers, rooted in biblical tradition, call on God to bring judgment or punishment upon a target. But critics say the language used during the conversation crossed a line. The pastor at the center of the controversy is Brooks Pottegier, who leads Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship in a suburb outside Nashville. Pottegier joined Christian nationalist commentator Joshua Haymes for the interview, where the two men turned their discussion toward the Texas Senate race. Joshua Haymes The exchange quickly turned into a prayer invoking divine judgment. “I pray that God kills him,” Haymes said during the podcast. He immediately clarified his words by saying the prayer referred to spiritual transformation rather than physical harm. “Ultimately, that means killing his heart and raising him up to new life in Christ,” he added. Pottegier echoed the sentiment. “We want to crucify him with Jesus,” the pastor said. He then referenced a biblical transformation story. “I want him to be Talarico of Tarsus,” Pottegier added, invoking Paul the Apostle, who was originally known as Saul of Tarsus before converting to Christianity. Haymes followed up with another statement reinforcing the religious framing of the prayer. “We want death and new life,” he said. The remarks were first highlighted by watchdog outlet Right Wing Watch, which reported on the podcast conversation. The controversy has drawn attention in part because of Pottegier’s connection to a religious network with ties to Hegseth. His church belongs to the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a movement founded by Doug Wilson. Wilson has publicly described himself as a Christian nationalist. Earlier, Hegseth invited Wilson to deliver a sermon at the Pentagon. Wilson gave a 15-minute message inside the building’s auditorium, and the event was broadcast live across the Defense Department’s internal television network. That connection has intensified scrutiny of Pottegier’s comments and the religious circles linked to the defense secretary. Meanwhile, the political target of the prayer has continued his campaign. Talarico recently secured a major victory in the Texas Democratic Senate Primary. He defeated Jasmine Crockett by more than 150,000 votes in the Democratic contest. The heated podcast exchange highlights the increasingly intense rhetoric that sometimes surrounds modern political campaigns. With the Texas Senate race moving forward, attention may remain fixed on the comments and the figures connected to them. For now, the clash has sparked debate over political speech, religion, and the boundaries of public prayer in the middle of a high-stakes election. Pete Hegseth's pastor threatens leading Texas Dem
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