Pastor Doug Wilson advocates for stripping citizenship from certain voters

Pastor Doug Wilson, a leader of the religious denomination to which U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth belongs, has made several controversial statements regarding American citizenship and civil rights. During a forum in Moscow, Idaho, Wilson argued that citizenship should be treated as a privilege rather than a right, suggesting that individuals who voted for New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani should lose their citizenship. Wilson stated, “If America is a creedal nation, then you have to have creedal standards.”

Wilson, a self-described Christian nationalist, has previously advocated for the repeal of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote, and has called for the expulsion of states that maintain legal gay marriage. He has also proposed religious tests for officeholders. Hegseth, who has framed certain military objectives as divine missions, previously invited Wilson to preach at the Pentagon in early 2026.

In recent discussions, Wilson has also addressed his views on slavery and his vision for a Christian nationalist America, which includes banning non-Christians from holding public office.