What do Pete Hegseth’s tattoos mean? The Fox and Friends presenter claps back at “Anti-Christian bigotry” accusations
Fox and Friends presenter Pete Hegseth clapped back at criticisms regarding his controversial tattoos. Hegseth recently came under fire after being announced as President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of defense. Concerns were raised regarding the meaning behind the army veteran's tattoos, even being made the focus of an AP article published on Friday, November 15.
The article focused on Hegseth's ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo which the outlet associated with a middle-aged Christian crusader rallying cry, and was allegedly deemed as an insider threat by a fellow service member. The Latin phrase directly translates to 'God wills it.' Hegseth has previously claimed that his Jerusalem cross tattoo got his orders for Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration revoked.
When Tara Corp, AP's Pentagon Correspondent referenced the article in a Friday tweet, VP-elect JD Vance was quick to defend Hegseth. Vance referred to Hegseth's ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo as a "Christian motto" and claimed that AP should be ashamed of themselves for "anti-Christian bigotry." A few moments later, Pete Hegseth himself responded to Vance, tweeting out:
"Amen @JDVance . Anti-Christian bigotry in the media on full display. 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."
Pete Hegseth's Jerusalem cross tattoo allegedly got his National Guard orders revoked
On his right bicep, Donald Trump's secretary of defense pick, Pete Hegseth houses a 'Deus Vult' tattoo. According to AP's aforementioned article, the tattoo was allegedly associated with white supremacist groups and was also a battle cry for Christian crusaders. The Latin phrase also ends Hegseth's 2020 book American Crusade: Our Fight To Stay Free.
Another one of Hegseth's tattoos that went viral was the Jerusalem Cross tattoo on his right chest, consisting of one singular cross in the middle surrounded by four other smaller crosses. Although the cross has its roots in the Crusades, it has more recently been associated with Christian nationalism.
AP reported that the cross did have a long history with Christianity, however, the outlet further reported that it was later adopted as a far-right symbol for the "fight for Western civilization."
During an appearence on the Shawn Ryan Show earlier this month, Hegseth claimed that he was ordered to stand down by his District of Columbia National Guard unit for Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration.
Pete Hegseth claimed that he was deemed an "extremist" by his unit due to the Jerusalem cross tattoo. Hegseth, who referred to the tattoo as "just a Christian symbol" claimed that this was the reason he got his orders revoked for the first time.
When he was writing his book, Hegseth reached out to someone else in the unit to confirm why he was ordered to stand down. Hegseth quoted the insider in the interview:
"Someone inside the D.C. guard trolled your social media, found a tattoo, used it as an excuse to call you a white nationalist, an extremist. And you were specifically 'By Name' orders revoked to guard the inauguration because you were considered a potential threat."
AP further reported that an email sent to the outlet by Pete Hegseth's unit’s security manager, who was on an anti-terrorism team at the time, proved that concerns were raised about Hegseth's 'Deus Vult' tattoo. According to the outlet, this allegedly led to him being flagged as an "Insider Threat."
Other tattoos that the defense secretary-elect has are a cross with a sword on his arm, which is a reference to the New Testament verse Matthew 10:34. The tattoo was later accessorized with the Hebrew word for God in the Old Testament "Yahweh." Hegseth's upper arm also housed the Greek letters chi and rho, which was a reference to "Christ" in Greek and early Christian symbology.
Pete Hegseth's slew of Patriotic tattoos included the US Constitution's opening line 'We the people' on his forearm along with the Roman numerals for 1775, the year Georgia joined the Second Continental Congress after twelve other colonies. This also extended into the 13 stars Hegseth had tattooed around his elbow.
Hegseth's inside forearm showcased a "Join, or Die" snake, which showcased a snake cut into 8 pieces. Initially published in 1754 in Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette as a symbol to get the British government to join the colonies to fight native Americans and the French, it later became a symbol of colonial freedom.
Pete Hegseth's upper arm contained an American flag with its bottom stripes modified to resemble an AR-15 rifle, the very same weapon he held when he was deployed in Iraq.
Above the American flag is an Infantry regiment patch tattoo for the 187th Infantry, a World War 2 glider unit. Along with an upward-pointing sword, the motto on the patch states, 'Ne Desit Virtus', Latin for 'Let Valor Not Fall.'