Controversy over Baptist pastor's violent rhetoric against Musk: "Sometimes the devil will act so ugly..."

Pastor Steve Caudle from the Greater Second Missionary Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, went viral for a fiery sermon in which he argued that violence was a possible response to the Trump administration, only to later claim that his words had been taken out of context.

In a Sunday sermon, called "The Violent Kingdom," Caudle said that he was concerned that the nation was "on the verge of bloodshed." He described, alluding to the government, an attempt to "take us back to a day that we do not want to go." After stating that he prayed for peace, he stated, "No one likes violence, but sometimes violence is necessary."

"When Elon Musk forces his way into the United States Treasury, and threatens to steal your personal information and your social security check, there is a possibility of violence," he said, referring to attempts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), to breach Treasury systems, an act currently under legal scrutiny. 

"Sometimes the devil will act so ugly that you have no other choice but to get violent, and fight," he added. The officiant then argued that "The kingdom of God is a warzone, it is a battlefield. You did know this, right?"

Less combative but equally critical, he later condemned the president's promise to dismantle the Department of Education, calling it a "very, very serious issue." "[It's] going to be devastating for poor families," he asserted. He warned that if the proposal goes through, families could face education costs of up to fifty thousand dollars a year, emphasizing, "We must be vigilant."

Reproaches and calls for resignation

The pastor's critical remarks quickly went viral on social media, prompting a response from Musk on X: "This tells me that he is trying to hide MASSIVE fraud." Meanwhile, Virgil L. Walker, vice president of ministry relations for the Baptist organization G3 Ministries, questioned whether this was an appropriate way for a pastor to speak and hinted that he might have hidden motives behind his statements.

"Words matter, especially from the pulpit," said Weston Wamp, mayor of the county where the church is located, sharing a screenshot of a message he received via Instagram, "That pastor was right, you should all be rounded up and Mussolini'd [shot, like Benito Mussolini] like you deserve and you know it long been."

Wamp called for Caudle's resignation. That same day, he announced the launch of a DOGE-inspired task force "to eliminate waste in Hamilton County government."

In response, Caudle accused the official of lacking objectivity and claimed his words had been "intentionally" taken out of context. He told local media that he was referring to "spiritual warfare." The full video of the event remains available on YouTube, with the controversial remarks appearing at minute 52:30.

"There is a normalization of such violent rhetoric with mainstream figures," said author and law professor Jonathan Turley. "The result can be a sense of license for some willing to turn to violent forms of expression, particularly when given the patina of moral justification."

Turley later added in a blog entry that while violent speech has "long been" a part of American politics, it becomes especially concerning when religious leaders justify violence, as this crosses "a dangerous Rubicon."

The sermon also aligns with a wave criticism against the administration from religious figures, including Episcopalian Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde during National Prayer Service and Pope Francis regarding Trump's immigration policies.