Brooks Potteiger: Pete Hegseth's pastor viral amid ‘kill’ James Talarico remark; 5 things to know

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's pastor Brooks Potteiger has gone viral for his remarks about Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's pastor and spiritual advisor Brooks Potteiger has gone viral for his remarks about Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seen with pastor Brooks Potteiger. (X/@fritzie4art)

Potteiger, who Hegseth has called his mentor, was attending the Reformation Red Pill podcast, when the matter of Talarico came up. The episode in question is from March 16, but Potteiger's actions gained attention later.

Here's what was said about James Talarico.

What did Brooks Potteiger say about James Talarico?

Potteiger was speaking with show host Joshua Haymes when Talarico came up. Haymes said “First and foremost, we pray that a man like this would be cut to the heart..”

“This is where you have imprecatory psalms. The psalmist is not shy. God, destroy them. Make them as dung on the ground,” he continued. Haymes then went on to say “I pray that God kills him. Ultimately, that means killing his heart and raising him up to new life in Christ.”

Potteiger, seemingly in agreement, remarked “Right, we want him crucified with Christ. I want him to be, I think Saul of Tarsus. Talarico of Tarsus.” When Haymes again asked “We want death and new life, right? And if it would not be within God’s will to do, stop him by any means necessary, oh God,” Hegseth's pastor replied with a ‘mhmm’.

Talarico, meanwhile, has responded to the controversy with an X post, saying “Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills. You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you. I love you more than you could ever hate me.”

Amid the row, here's all you need to know about Hegseth's pastor Brooks Potteiger.

Brooks Potteiger: 5 things to know

1. Potteiger leads the leads the Pilgrim Hill Reformed Fellowship church outside Nashville. This is an evangelical church that Hegseth began to attend in 2021. It is a part of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches – which was co-founded by self-labeled Christian nationalist Doug Wilson.
2. Hegseth has called Potteiger ‘a mentor of mine, of my wife and I, of our family’. He was also invited to the Pentagon event titled Secretary of Defense Christian Prayer & Worship Service last year.
3. He is married to wife, Laura, and they have five kids together.
4. Potteiger has Masters degrees in Christian Apologetics and Pastoral Care and Counseling.
5. As per his bio, Potteiger enjoys live-edge woodworking, photography, and the poetry of George Herbert among other things.

Remarking on the current row, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson told PEOPLE “the Fake News Media, and sometimes anti-Christian media, are deliberately twisting the words of Pastor Potteiger in order to attack him and Secretary Hegseth while advancing a partisan narrative.”