For years, Americans have watched the war on Christmas unfold as secular forces strip nativity scenes from public squares, ban manger displays from schools and scrub the name of Jesus from celebrations that exist because of Him. Yet under the current administration, the pendulum is swinging the other way.
Rather than apologizing for Christmas, the Trump administration is elevating it, and nowhere is that clearer than at the Pentagon.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, a combat veteran known for putting action behind conviction, is leading that charge.
The Blaze reported that Hegseth is launching an initiative to uproot woke culture in federal institutions, “by bringing Christmas to the Department of War.” This includes the first-ever Pentagon Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and newly expanded holiday décor “at this scale,” not seen under prior leadership, as reported by The Blaze.
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This is not a symbolic gesture. It is a visible course correction after years of cultural retreat. The Pentagon grounds, once home to a fading Amelanchier tree planted around 2008, have now been transformed. Hegseth signed off on replacing it with a “14-foot Nellie Stevens Holly,” sourced from Virginia, signifying new life and a renewed direction. Officials told The Blaze that bald eagles were seen flying overhead as the new tree was planted, a moment loaded with national symbolism.
This is not just about decorations. It is about messaging. Every staff member and their family has been invited to the lighting ceremony. One Department of War official told Blaze News, “We are pro-family and pro-Christmas at the department.”
That statement alone signals a dramatic shift. The Pentagon is not embarrassed by Christmas, family, faith or tradition.
Hegseth’s move reflects the belief that culture must be lived, not merely talked about. Leaders shape environments, and public displays of conviction are contagious. While previous Pentagon leadership toned down religion within federal spaces, Hegseth is doing what warfighters do: advancing rather than retreating.
As Christmas nears, our nation is reminded that cultural battles are never neutral.
If Christians do not show up, secularism will. The Pentagon’s bold return to Christmas points to a larger truth. The holiday is more than lights, holly and pageantry. At its core stands the birth of Jesus Christ. The Pentagon’s new Christmas emphasis underscores why it matters: America is better when it remembers where its hope comes from.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
