OpinionColumnsNonviolence and Peace

The God They Preach at the Pentagon

By Michael Woolf
U.S. Vice President-elect former Sen. JD Vance (R-Oh.) and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump greet Rev. Franklin Graham (R) after he delivered the invocation during inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Reuters
Jan 13, 2026
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On Dec. 17, 2025, evangelical minister and Republican political activist Franklin Graham led a Christmas worship service at the Pentagon, where he preached about God being a “God of war.” I find it to be one of the most bizarre Christmas sermons ever given, but it was telling.

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U.S. Vice President-elect former Sen. JD Vance (R-Oh.) and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump greet Rev. Franklin Graham (R) after he delivered the invocation during inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Reuters