Pentagon Deputy Undersecretary Linked to Christian Nationalist and Far-Right Views

Deputy Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security Justin Overbaugh, a decorated veteran appointed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, has drawn scrutiny for his outspoken social-media presence. Overbaugh’s posts celebrate gun culture, denigrate immigration, and endorse far-right politicians and parties, including Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland and Britain’s Tommy Robinson. He regularly promotes the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, a denomination founded by Doug Wilson, who has made anti-suffrage and anti-LGBT statements, and even invited Wilson to preach at the Pentagon.

Overbaugh also backs author Stephen Wolfe’s Christian nationalist agenda and has offered to assist Wolfe’s new Institute of Christian Politics. Pentagon officials have defended Overbaugh as a “qualified, patriotic professional,” while the department declined comment on related extremist concerns raised by journalists. The controversy highlights the tension between national-security responsibilities and the infusion of extremist ideology into senior defense roles.