Christiane Amanpour recalls her first Gulf War tag with rank of major

thebesig | April 18, 2026 | 37 Comments

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hammered the press for their animus against President Trump. Hegseth compared them to the Pharasees who scrutinized Jesus looking for something to accuse the latter. Christiane Amanpour did not take this too well. She took to X, dropped her Roman Catholic credentials, leveraged the ninth commandment against bearing false witness, and followed with a statement about her dog tag. She recalled that the tag listed “major.” Amanpour’s post did not clarify whether this was for press access or if she actually served.

From Christiane Amanpour on X:

Using the Pentagon podium to lash out at journalists in extreme biblical terms is unprecedented, misguided, and frankly wrong on the substance. Ever since Sunday School Catholic classes, I have been well aware of the Scribes and the Pharisees. They were the bad guys against Jesus, the good guy… in current U.S. good v evil war parlance. Bearing witness to the truth is what we journalists are commanded to do, without fear nor favor.

I am also well aware of the Ten Commandments, and therefore urge any government radical anywhere, to follow the 9th… against bearing false witness.

And finally an observation: the current Secretary of War, f/k/a Defence, left the military with the rank of Major. I recall my dogtag in the first Gulf war had the rank of major… the very same rank. Just sayin’!

Additional Reading:

Toldjah, S. (2026, April 17). Hot takes: Stolen valor is alleged after ‘journlaist’ takes her Hegseth derangement syndrome too far. RedState. Link.