A prominent CBS News anchor is currently facing intense online backlash. On Thursday, Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan posted a message on social media that many interpreted as mocking people of faith and the U.S. military.
The Press Conference
The controversy started early Thursday morning during a Pentagon press briefing. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth addressed the media to provide an update on Operation Epic Fury. During his somber remarks, he also took a moment to honor the six U.S. service members recently killed in a plane crash.
Hegseth concluded his press conference with a call to prayer: “May Almighty God continue to bless our troops in this fight. And again, to the American people, please pray for them, every day, on bended knee, with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ. To the troops, keep going and Godspeed.”
The Controversial Post
Shortly after the broadcast, Margaret Brennan took to X (formerly Twitter) to share her reaction.
She wrote: “The Secretary of Defense tells the American public to pray for our troops on bended knee and invoke Jesus’ name….”
While Brennan did not explicitly state her own opinion in the post, the phrasing and ellipses led many conservative figures to accuse her of mocking the Secretary’s Christian faith.
The Conservative Backlash
The blowback across social media was immediate and severe. Politicians, conservative pundits, and official administration accounts flooded Brennan’s replies with criticism.
- The White House Rapid Response Account: “Only a leftist ‘reporter’ would be offended by praying for our troops.”
- Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders: “Only in DC is something like this considered even remotely offensive.”
- Rep. Brandon Gill: “Democrats are reflexively repulsed when they hear someone invoke Christ’s name. What does that tell you?”
- Kingsley Wilson (Hegseth’s Press Secretary): Wilson defended her boss, noting that Americans have been doing the exact same thing “since George Washington prayed for our troops at Valley Forge.”
Conservative pundits also piled on. Radio host Erick Erickson questioned why Brennan found the prayer controversial, while GOP strategist Steve Guest accused her of directly “attacking people of faith.”
CBS News has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the social media post.
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