The Trump Admin’s Boneheaded Move

Monday, June 8, 2026

On Thursday, The Pentagon announced a reorganization of its religious affiliation categories.  Fair enough, the system had become unwieldy, religions come and go, adjustments do need to be made from time-to-time.  But on Sunday it began to emerge that within the changes there was one particularly boneheaded change – The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints – The Mormons – were moved out of the “Christian category” and given a separate and unique classification.  Oops – senators are protesting.

Now, to be clear Mormons are definitively heterodox.  I noted this yesterday when I made mention of Mitt Romney’s “deeply flawed theology.”  But Christianity is not defined by theology alone.  I wrote for more than eight years, the years Romney was in the presidential fray, about how Mormons were often “more” Christian that a lot of traditional Christians – despite their heterodox theology.  But I am not here today to argue that.  This move by the Pentagon is ill-considered politically and is likely to backfire.

“Christian Nationalism” is a straw man that has been stood up by liberals to delegitimize patriotic conservative Christians for some time now.  PBS acknowledges it is an extremist view, but was willing to spend reporting resources just to make sure people knew it was out there.  Wikipedia examines it around the world, careful to note its ties with neo-Nazi and Nazi movements.  Liberal seminaries are offering online courses, being picked up by churches across the nation all about it.  Yes it exists, and yes it is ugly – but it is extremist and it is inconsequential inside the conservative movement.  And yet, it is being plastered about as the great thing that must be opposed by liberals.  Next thing you know we will find the SPLC has been funding it.  The best thing to do is just ignore it.

Kicking Mormons out of the “Christian Club” stinks of Christian Nationalism.  It is the sort of discriminatory move that the few actual Christian Nationalists out there are frequently accused of – generally rightly so.  This move gives credence to the liberal straw man version of Christian Nationalism and traction to the fringy extremist movement itself.

Mormons are wonderfully optimistic people.  When I talked to some Mormon friends yesterday about this, they noted that it would likely mean Mormonism will be better represented in the chaplaincy corp.  I don’t know about that, but I do know that kind of hope and optimism is what makes Mormonism the fastest growing religious expression in America.  But optimistic as they are – they should indeed protest this change.  They are also by-and-large conservative.  This move by the Pentagon does nothing but give liberals ammunition to fire against normal, well-meaning, conservative Christians. In fact, normal, well-meaning, conservative Christians ought to be protesting this move too.