President-elect Donald Trump‘s pick for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has hit back over claims his tattoos are associated with white supremacists.
The veteran responded to an Associated Press story that said he was flagged as a possible ‘insider threat’ by a fellow service member due to a tattoo on his bicep.
That service member had sent an email to the District of Columbia National Guard over the tattoo which reads ‘Deus Vult’, claiming it was used by white supremacists.
In the email, obtained by AP, the soldier said the phrase, which translates to ‘God wills it’ was used to ‘invoke the myth of a white Christian medieval past’.
The email continued that it has ‘enjoyed popularity with members of the alt-right over its popularity’ and has been widely used by nationalist groups in Europe.
Hegseth, 44, has since slapped down this claim as being a display of ‘Anti-Christian bigotry’.
Posting to X, he said: ‘They can target me – I don’t give a damn – but this type of targeting of Christians, conservatives, patriots and everyday Americans will stop on DAY ONE at DJT’s DoD.’
In 2021 Hegseth was part of the Minnesota National Guard called to DC to guard President Joe Biden at his inauguration before being ordered to stand down.
The veteran, seen here, responded to an Associated Press story that said he was flagged as a possible ‘insider threat’ by a fellow service member
In the email, obtained by AP, the soldier said the phrase, which translates to ‘God wills it’ was used to ‘invoke the myth of a white Christian medieval past’. The tattoo is seen here
He has said that he was told to do so after being unfairly identified as an extremist due to a Jerusalem Cross tattooed on his chest.
Later recounting being pulled from the inauguration, Hegseth wrote in his book ‘The War on Warriors: ‘The feeling was mutual, I didn’t want this Army anymore either.
‘Twenty years, and the military I loved, I fought for, I revered spit me out.’
Vice President in waiting JD Vance has since came to his aid over the email, saying: ‘They’re attacking Pete Hegseth for having a Christian motto tattooed on his arm.
‘This is disgusting anti-Christian bigotry from the AP, and the entire organization should be ashamed of itself.’
The Fox News host is one of the most unlikely in Trump’s new cabinet, having said to have cultivated a friendship with Trump during his regular appearances on Fox.
Hegseth’s love of body art started while he was in High School but it would be decades before he got his first tat.
Speaking to the Big Lead he said: ‘I always wanted tattoos. Thankfully, my father dissuaded me early in life because what I wanted out of high school was a basketball hoop with a flaming basketball going through the hoop.
‘All I cared about was basketball, I played basketball in college, my dad was a basketball coach. ‘
Hegseth is one of the most unlikely in Trump’s new cabinet, having said to have cultivated a friendship with Trump during his appearances on Fox. He is seen here with his wife Jennifer
Trump’s appointment of Hegseth has drew swift condemnation from many in Washington
He only got his first one a few years back when the TV host decided to get his first ink whilst on vacation with his family.
Hegseth described the decision to get the tattoo as a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ after his wife Jen decided to get a small tattoo on her left bicep and after that he has continued to get more and more.
Most of his body art represents his Christian faith, his American patriotism and his history in the US military.
Besides the Jersualem Cross and the ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo, he also has a cross and sword and ‘we the people’ on his forearm, the latter being the first line of the constitution.
Hegseth’s elbow is surrounded by 13 stars which perhaps is a reference to the stars on the Betsy Ross flag – one of the first flags produced to represent the USA.
He also has the iconic ‘join or die’ snake, which is earliest known pictorial representation of colonial union produced by colonists in America.
Hegseth has a modern depiction of the current flag with a sniper at the bottom of the stars and stripes, which could be a reference to the second amendment.
One of his largest tatoos is situated just below his shoulder is a patch used by the 187th Infantry Regiment of the US army which Hegseth was a member of.
Besides the Jersualem Cross and the ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo, he also has a cross and sword and ‘we the people’ on his forearm, the latter being the first line of the constitution
Trump’s appointment of Hegseth drew swift condemnation from many in Washington, with one veterans’ advocate branding him ‘undoubtedly the least qualified nominee for Defense Secretary in history’.
Trump said yesterday: ‘With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice – Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down. Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ”Peace through Strength” policy.’
Hegseth’s appointment is a snub to former Democrat Congresswoman and Trump ally Tulsi Gabbard, who had said just hours before that she wanted the job.
It follows a string of heavily-scrutinized Trump appointments, including former South Dakota governor Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security, John Ratcliffe as CIA director, Mike Waltz as national security adviser and senior Trump campaign adviser Susie Wiles as chief of staff.
By far the most attention has gone to the tapping of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency, which has been tasked with ‘dismantling’ the $6.5 trillion federal government.
His appointment could bring sweeping changes to the military, as he is passionately opposed to ‘woke’ diversity programs and the role of women in combat.
On a recent appearance on Fox News, Hegseth made it clear that he felt Joe Biden’s White House was run by ‘pro-Palestinian millennials.’
If confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth will inherit the top job during a series of global crises – ranging from Russia’s war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East to escalating worries about the growing alliance between Russia and North Korea.