There is an old joke about why scientists have started to use lawyers instead of rats for experimentation (apologies in advance to Susie Moore and my other colleagues who are or were lawyers). There are, the joke says, more lawyers than rats; you don't become attached to lawyers, and [drumroll] there are things that rats just won't do. After today, I'm firmly convinced that the same applies to leftists posing as journalists.
It is no secret that the left hates Secretary of War Pete Hegseth more than they hate President Trump. Hegseth has brought a vigor and focus to the job that have rarely been seen since the Department of Defense, now styled the Department of War, was formed in 1947. What makes him hated by the left is that he has singlehandedly stopped the conquest of our military by the "long march through the institutions" that has corrupted the rest of our government. He not only stopped it, but he is reversing it.
Hardly a day passes that does not bring with it some breathless exposé of how Hegseth is violating some norm or the other and why that is very, very bad.
The favorite target for these stories is Hegseth's willingness to fire generals and admirals who will not support the administration (see Pete Hegseth Gives the Army Chief of Staff His Walking Papers – RedState and Two More Army Generals Get Shown the Door. Connected? Or Just Timing? – RedState); his alleged feud with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, and Hegseth's overt Christianity.
BACKGROUND:
The Defense Secretary Is Right: All of Christ for All of Life – RedState
Today's bifecta in the Hegseth-hate and lab-rat category goes to the Huffington Post. This isn't all that shocking for an outlet that was founded by progressive harpy Ariana Huffington, who also gained fame by driving her husband to embrace the gay lifestyle.
NEW: The Pentagon today invited more than 3,500 employees to attend a Good Friday service at its in-house chapel.
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) April 3, 2026
Except it’s only for Protestants, not Catholics. https://t.co/kit55jmmJ1
Archived for when the inevitable stealth deletion happens pic.twitter.com/wZIRRVTIxJ
— streiff (@streiffredstate) April 3, 2026
The Pentagon has invited more than 3,500 employees to attend a Good Friday service at its in-house chapel. Except it’s only for Protestants, not Catholics.
“Just a friendly reminder: There will be a Protestant Service (No Catholic Mass) for Good Friday today at the Pentagon Chapel,” reads a Friday email sent by Air Force leadership, a copy of which was shared by an employee.
“I guess so the Catholics know their kind ain’t welcome,” said this employee, who requested anonymity to speak about internal communications. “It’s so ridiculous.”
A Pentagon spokesperson confirmed it is not hosting another, separate religious service for Catholic employees.
“The Protestant service is the only service scheduled in the Pentagon chapel today,” they said in a statement.
The Pentagon Memorial Chapel is that employees can use for prayer and reflection, and that is used for religious services.
Bendery elaborates in her tweet:
“I guess so the Catholics know their kind ain’t welcome,” said the Defense Department employee who shared the email.
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) April 3, 2026
“It’s so ridiculous.”
Significant if true. It implies that Hegseth or his minions posted themselves outside the chapel and checked baptismal certificates or proficiency in speaking in tongues before allowing entry. Perhaps they had a breathalyzer calibrated to detect the odor of a Filet-O-Fish sandwich.
Here's the problem with the story. It is true, but so what? Catholics don't celebrate Mass on Good Friday. Catholic liturgy has three events in what is called the Easter Triduum, that is, the three days that begin on Thursday evening and culminate in the Easter Vigil.
- Mass of the Lord's Supper (Thursday evening).
- Good Friday of the Lord's Passion (ideally at 3 p.m., but is frequently later to allow for after-work attendance).
- Mass of the Resurrection of the Lord (after sundown Saturday).
The Friday event has a prescribed format. The clergy and congregation assemble in silence. The passion narrative is read, but there is no homily. A series of prescribed intercessions is prayed. There is a period devoted to the Adoration of the Holy Cross. The Eucharist is distributed from the Host consecrated on Holy Thursday.
There is literally no way Catholic and Protestant worship on Good Friday even vaguely resembles one another.
The only thing nefarious here was the cheap shot taken at Pete Hegseth. What is so shocking about this is that I can't imagine even in a secular craphole like the editorial spaces of the Huffington Post that someone didn't read this, know the reason why the service was Protestant only, and said, "What the hell, yeah, it's bullsh** but it's about Hegseth, run it anyway."
This brings us back to the lab rats. A person with a modicum of integrity would not have written this story or allowed it to be published, as it is obviously false and has the sole purpose of character assassination. Rats would never do this.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
Help us report the truth about the Trump administration’s decisive actions to keep Americans safe and bring peace to the world. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member