US Politics
Kash Patel’s girlfriend picked to sing National Anthem before Pete Hegseth’s anti-abortion address
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
Read more
FBI Director Kash Patel’s girlfriend was selected to sing the national anthem ahead of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s anti-abortion speech to Christian broadcasters at the NRB’s “Freedom 250” event.
Alexis Wilkins, a country singer who is dating Patel, was chosen to sing ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ to kick off the event in Nashville, Tennessee.
Late last year, Patel was forced to defend his decision to use a private jet to visit Wilkins after congressional Democrats launched an investigation.
Patel and Wilkins appeared on the Katie Miller Podcast — hosted by the wife of Trump advisor Stephen Miller — during which the FBI director insisted he’s not allowed to fly commercial and that he pays for his own travel.
“It’s ironic that they’re saying, ‘Oh, you’re going on vacation or you’re going to see your girlfriend perform’,” he said. “And if I was actually abusing it, I would go see every one of her shows. I think I get to like 15 percent.”
open image in gallery
Patel was again questioned about his use of aircraft after announcing his plans to visit the Winter Olympics in Milan. On Thursday, the FBI denied claims that Patel was going to use an agency aircraft to travel to the games.
Back at the NRB conference, Wilkins wasn’t the only one who performed. Joining her was the 101st Airborne Division’s color guard, which was forced to attend the event and watch Hegseth deliver his remarks to the National Religious Broadcasters group.
Tickets for the event ran between $300 and $750, according to the Daily Beast.
Those willing to shell out hundreds of dollars were allowed to see Hegseth rant about how half the country is “godless” and run through anti-abortion and anti-trans talking points.
open image in gallery
He kicked off his comments by stating that he was bringing greetings from “a fighter for the people of faith, President Donald J Trump.”
In 2020, Trump held a Bible upside down during a photo op after gassing protesters outside a Washington, D.C., church and, in a 2016 incident, said his favorite book of the Bible was “two Corinthians.” The book is referred to as “Second Corinthians” by nearly all American Christians.
Continuing, the twice-divorced Hegseth talked about “spiritual health” in the military and attacked supposed DEI initiatives in the service.
“Gone is godless and divisive DEI, gone is gender-bending equity and quotas, gone is climate change worship to a false god,” he said. “We are one military, one fighting force, one nation under God. We are not ‘In woke we trust,” we are ‘In God we trust.’”
He hit on abortion during the speech, claiming that “protecting the life of an unborn baby is not political, it’s biblical,” and adding that Trump is “working every day to end taxpayer support of abortion” and to end “abortion for illegal immigrants at Veterans’ Affairs hospitals and service member abortion-related travel expenses at the War Department.”
He also villainized everyone in the country who doesn’t agree with him or Trump’s MAGA agenda, describing them as being “fueled by godless and toxic ideologies, foreign to the Western way of life, with tolerant hearts filled with rage and hate.”
Hegseth’s obvious Christian nationalism was a subject of contention during his confirmation hearing. He has several tattoos that evoke the Crusades. The defense secretary has defended his tattoos as being “patriotic” and has insisted criticism of their meaning is “anti-Christian bigotry.”
