The Pharisees Press

Pete Hegseth called the media "The Pharisees Press", a wildly antisemitic very Holy War coded diss.

Hello Friends!

So - maybe it’s because I played Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, maybe it’s because I’m in my Catholic revivalist era - but when I hear the word “Pharisees”, it catches my attention.

The Pharisees in Jesus Christ Superstar dangle the bribe of 30 pieces of silver while donning INCREDIBLE hats. Historically accurate? Maybe. Who knows.

From Reuters:

Thursday, U.S. Defense ​Secretary Pete Hegseth cited biblical scripture to attack the media, comparing reporters to Jewish adversaries of Jesus Christ plotting "how ‌to destroy him."

Hegseth's comments sought to counter what he saw as negative coverage of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. "The Pharisees scrutinized every good act in order to find a violation. Only looking for the negative. The hardened hearts of our press are calibrated only to impugn."

Yes, Hegseth is alleging that the legacy media is figuratively crucifying Trump the way the Pharisees conspired to have Jesus Christ physically crucified.

“Saint or Sinner” by British artist Mason Storm, known for his politically charged and satirical art on display at the Basler Kunstmeile exhibition space in Switzerland.

Historically and biblically, the Pharisees did not execute Jesus themselves; rather, they were part of a broader group of leaders who conspired to have him handed over to the Roman authorities. Because the Jewish council (the Sanhedrin) lacked the legal authority to carry out capital punishment under Roman rule, they relied on the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to perform the execution.

SO WHO’S THE PILATE in this production of Donald Trump Superstar?? Trump is the Jesus, the Press is the Pharisees, the so called radical lunatic left is the Judas and Pete is who.. Simon the Zealot? Mary Magdalene? Can he hit those high notes??

Who is the Pilate - who will be the one to end the reign of Trump-sus Christ?

Maybe one of these folks rumored to be running for President in 2028? Eh?? ::sigh::

Time will tell I suppose.. but back to Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth comparing the "legacy" media to the Pharisees, an ancient Jewish sect portrayed negatively in the New Testament is a huge red flag, and yet another example of his religious psychosis and belief that he is in a Holy War. Critics, including liberal Jewish leaders, argued this comparison carried antisemitic connotations, echoing historic accusations that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus, are liars, control the media, are scheming behind the scenes paying bribes to traitors etc etc etc.

This isn’t even the first time he’s done an antisemitism. It’s become intentional. Last June Hegseth was pressed by the House Jewish Caucus and Senator Jacky Rosen over his promotion of Kingsley Wilson to Pentagon press secretary. Wilson had been accused of promoting "Great Replacement" theory, white nationalist conspiracies, and antisemitic, neo-Nazi-linked claims, which Hegseth defended, dismissing the accusations as political "mischaracterization".

From NPR:

Over the last several years, Wilson posted and commented prolifically on podcasts in her position at the right-wing think tank the Center for Renewing America. Wilson praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and attacked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, promoted theories widely seen as antisemitic, excoriated Republicans in Congress who supported Ukraine, frequently used a slur for people with intellectual disabilities and also appeared to support political violence.

Among Wilson’s comments that drew the toughest criticism were those regarding Leo Frank, a Jewish man who was lynched by an antisemitic mob in Georgia in 1915.

Historians widely believe that Frank was falsely accused of raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl, and the state of Georgia granted Frank a posthumous pardon in 1986. But many antisemitic extremists continue to argue that Frank was guilty. In 2023, neo-Nazis protested the Broadway musical “Parade,” which dramatizes Frank’s trial and lynching.

NSM88 on that sign refers to NSM (National Socialist Movement) a schism of the original National Socialist White Peoples Party. The NSM is described by the Anti-Defamation League as "one of the more explicitly neo-Nazi groups in the United States." It seeks the transformation of the United States into a white ethnostate from which Jews, non-Whites, and members of the LGBTQ community would be expelled and barred from citizenship. The “88” in NSM88 is a common Nazi dog whistle meaning HH (H is the 8th letter of the alphabet) standing for “Heil Hitler”.

There’s just.. a lot.. of overlap between the rhetoric of Hegseth, Pentagon leaders he put in power and.. well .. the folks who protested Parade on Broadway.

Hegseth has described himself as a Christian who "robustly" supports Israel… “supports Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas". He has consistently denied accusations of antisemitism, framing them as political attacks.

Hegseth needs “the Jews” to blame for “bad press”, and to kill all non Christians in the Holy Land to fulfill a biblical prophecy he believes was transmitted through the Old Testament: that the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty in the Levan, the eschatological "Gathering of Israel”, is a prerequisite for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

…and Pete wants to meet Jesus REAL BAD - he thinks Jesus will tell him “good boyyyyy” and he will inherit some kind of theocratic domain to rule, and everyone who ever doubted him will be soooooo sooorrrrryyyyy because he’s seated at the right hand of the Lord and doesn’t need to appologize or atone for any of his sins and also gets to be the one to punish everyone else.

He hates on the Pope and the Catholic Church because these forces don’t promise him his own little kingdom to rule, they call out his hypocrisy and tell him God doesn’t receive the prayers of warmongers - prayers that say “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation, give them (soldiers) wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and (let there be) overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”

Or as he more recently preached:

Hegseth quoting Pulp Fiction and lying about it, claiming a soldier told him this prayer is.. laughable - taking pot shots at the Pope? Par for the course when it comes to Evangelical extremists. Much more serious is his relationship with his personal pastor Doug Wilson, a man who has described himself as a “friend of pedophiles”, noted that women should not be allowed to vote, said owning slaves is righteous on scriptural grounds, and also said he should get to use the N word because “Godly obscenity exists”. He says a lot of things, you can find them here in dougwilsonsays

THIS GUY IS THE SECRETARY OF WAR’S PERSONAL JIMINY CRICKET!!

That is a huge problem. Likening the Pharisees to the modern media is a problem, and a call for violence against the Press. It’s gotta stop.

I’ll be watching how journalists move this week during White House Correspondence Dinner which has invited Donald Trump and the free press hating members of his administration to the dinner. The parties that surround the dinner boast inviting manosphere creators like Clavicular to attend, and Meghan McCain, Jessica Reed Kraus, and Vanessa Santos will be hosting a “Renegade Women’s” cocktail party. Meghan McCain you know, Jessica Reed Kraus goes by the handle “House in Habit” and is most well known for wearing a shirt that says “Free Ghislane” on it, Vanessa Santos is the publicist for the most extreme MAGA creators including Matt Walsh, Michael Knowles, Drea de Matteo, Roseanne Barr, Riley Gaines and Tim Pool. Grindr is also hosting a party that ALMOST GOT ME TO HAUL MY COOKIES DOWN TO DC just for the people watching.. but… I thought better of it all and decided -

I won’t be in DC this week.. best wishes with the events -lol- I don’t kiki with fascists, or “take a night off” to find civility with people who wish I was dead, imprisoned, disenfranchised from the right to vote, or that protects pedophiles and criminals in the Epstein files, which are just a few of the atrocities the Trump admin has thrown at us.

INSTEAD WE WILL BE LIVE EVERYDAY! Don’t forget to tune in 10am-11:30am right here on Substack or over on YouTube for daily news content, explainers, special guests and as always the chat is enabled so you can talk to us LIVE and ask questions. See ya there!

xoxo - V