Military Families Demand the Immediate Removal of the Secretary of Defense

The President of the United States and Members of Congress

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, reposted a message August 7th 2025 of a report by CNN examining Doug Wilson, cofounder of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, or CREC. The report featured a pastor from Wilson’s church advocating the repeal of women’s right to vote and “submit” to their husbands. This is not just offensive. It’s a direct threat to every military family.

Over ninety percent of military spouses are women. Many are caretakers, parents, and professionals—but above all, women are equal citizens. By amplifying this statement the Pentagon sends an implicit message to military families: that a woman's Constitutional right to vote is optional, that a woman's right to safety is secondary, and that a woman's silence is expected.

As military spouses and advocates, Secure Families Initiative has spent the last 5 years fighting in courtrooms and election offices to protect the votes of military families. Together, we won crucial victories in Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan and Arizona—expanding access to absentee ballots, improving ballot tracking for overseas voters, and cutting through red tape that too often disenfranchises our community. These wins were powered by spouses, service members, and veterans—especially women of color—who know exactly what’s at stake. We’re already 27% less likely to vote than civilians due to constant moves and bureaucratic barriers. When leaders start signaling that our votes—and our voices—don’t belong at all, it adds fuel to a long-burning fire of exclusion. And let’s be clear: the right to vote was not handed to women or to people of color. It was won. Black Americans, especially Black women, fought not only for the 19th Amendment, but also for the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to mean what it says: that all citizens are entitled to equal protection under the law. And if the Equal Protection Clause doesn’t apply to us all—it protects no one.

Sign the petition now


To: The President of the United States and Members of Congress
From: [Your Name]

We write to you as military families, loved ones of those who serve in uniform, calling for the immediate removal of the Secretary of Defense.

Our trust in his leadership is gone. And without trust, there is no safety — and no readiness.
This is not about politics. This is about national security, integrity, and constitutional accountability.

The Secretary of Defense has twice shown that he cannot be trusted with the lives of our loved ones:

He leaked operational details in unsecured channels, putting missions — and our service members — at risk.

He publicly amplified a worldview that claims women should not have the right to vote or be treated as equals under the Constitution.

Our family members are asked to respond to the call of duty without hesitation. We expect the same standard from our civilian leadership.

But this Secretary has violated the oath he swore — not once, but repeatedly. He has shown he cannot safeguard the mission or the values that define this nation.

Women make up 90% of military spouses. Families of color have always served, women have worn the uniform & both groups have died for this nation— even when the Constitution didn’t protect us. Military families raise children, manage crises, move state to state, and vote in every election we can — despite endless red tape.

To see the leader of the Department of Defense promote messages that erase our rights, our voices, and our worth is not just offensive. It is disqualifying.

We demand the following:

The immediate removal of the Secretary of Defense.

A public statement from Congress condemning the dangerous and anti-democratic ideology he amplified.

A clear commitment that military families will receive the equal protection guaranteed under the Constitution.

This is a test of leadership.

One cannot claim to support the troops and ignore the families who serve alongside them.
If our spouses are held to the highest standard of accountability, so must the people who command them.