The corporate media has a new “Christian nationalist” bogeyman: Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary. Their evidence of Hegseth’s supposed “extremist” views? Two tattoos of popular Christian iconography.
It was inevitable that the media would become apoplectic no matter whom Trump chose to lead the Pentagon – the simple fact that the military will no longer be run by left-wing bureaucrats is enough to send the press and elected Democrats into a fit of rage. But what has been somewhat shocking – if predictable – is the blatant anti-Christian bias evident in the media’s effort to sink Hegseth’s nomination.
Hegseth, a Fox News host and Army veteran, sports two tattoos that reflect his Christian faith.
The first is a Jerusalem Cross across a section of his chest. As Hegseth wrote in his latest book The War on Warriors, “The Jerusalem Cross represents Christ’s sacrifice and the mission to spread his gospel to the four corners of the world. There is one large cross in the middle and four smaller crosses at each corner. This was part of the coat of arms after AD 1203 and the 104-year reign of the Jerusalem Kingdom. I got it after I saw it on a church while walking the streets of Jerusalem.”
The second tattoo on Hegseth’s inner bicep is the Latin phrase Deus Vult, which translates to “God wills it.” The phrase first emerged in Christian teachings in 1095. It was uttered by Pope Urban II as a rallying cry for Christianity and used to encourage European Christians to join in the First Crusade and oppose the Muslim military occupation, violent forced conversion, and invasion of the Christian Byzantine Empire. Over time, the phrase embedded itself in Christianity and common culture as an expression of faith and courage in the face of adversity.
To the liberal media, however, Hegseth’s tattoos are not odes to Christian history, but rather evidence that he holds “dangerous” views and may even be a white nationalist.
The media pile-on began with an Associated Press story shortly after Trump announced Hegseth’s nomination entitled, “Trump Pentagon pick had been flagged by fellow service member as possible ‘Insider Threat.’” According to the report, two of Hegseth’s fellow Army National Guard service members sent an email to Hegseth’s superiors flagging his tattoos as symbols used by “white supremacists.”
As a result, according to Hegseth, he was unfairly labeled an extremist, and his unit was pulled from guarding Joe Biden’s January 2021 inauguration.
Breitbart has since reported that the servicemembers flagging Hegseth as an “insider threat” are “far-left, pro-Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) veterans.” Some sections of the email to Hegseth’s commander were even apparently lifted directly from “a 2018 article by an extreme leftwing professor who identifies herself as an ‘intersectional feminist.’”
Vice President-elect JD Vance blasted the AP for their biased reporting, stating, “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.” But that report was nonetheless all the press needed to launch a narrative that Hegseth is a “dangerous” pick to lead the military.
“‘Christian motto’ or nationalist dog whistle?” asked The Independent earlier this month of Hegseth’s Deus Vult tattoo, repeating the line that the phrase “has been associated with white supremacist groups.” Meanwhile, ABC declared that “Trump defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth was flagged as potential military ‘insider threat’ because of ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo,” while The Atlantic called Hegseth “Donald Trump’s Most Dangerous Cabinet Pick.”
These bad faith attacks have further established a disturbing trend in the legacy media. Since Donald Trump’s 2016 election, pundits have increasingly suggested that individuals of strong Christian faith are “dangerous” and “extremist threats.” One 2022 Atlantic article ran with the title, “How the Rosary Became an Extremist Symbol” and suggested that any individual carrying traditional Christian items or iconography should be looked at as a potential white supremacist and terror threat.
What the media’s attacks on Hegseth ultimately reveal is that, beyond tattoos and dubious allegations, liberals have little to attack him over. He has served more than 20 years as an officer in the Army National Guard. During his service, he volunteered to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan twice and served a tour at Guantanamo Bay. He was awarded Bronze Stars for his service and retired as a major in January 2024. He has worked for several veteran advocacy groups.
Hegseth’s real crime in the eyes of the media is that he is not a puppet of either the Republican or Democrat Party establishments. For that, Americans can be grateful.
Andrew Shirley is a veteran speechwriter and AMAC Newsline columnist. His commentary can be found on X at @AA_Shirley.
The way the dems and MSM are attacking Pete, just proves he is the RIGHT MAN for the job!
Pete Hegseth will make Sec of Def back into what it should be. Get rid of all the “woke” crappola.
We all know that if the dems dislike something, it must be good for the American people! Go Pete!
God Bless this brave soldier. Here is a man who served our country well and this is what the Leftist do? Maybe some of their children should be so honorable.
For all those attacking because he is “too” Christian or whatever their beef is. One question. What are your plans when you die and you discover that God is real?? Face it, you have no more hard core facts on the subject than I do.
Hegseth is a thinking smart man. Not qualified in the eyes of the dem party to be secretary of defense. They need morons in that position so that the military industrial complex can keep their fat contracts with the government. I would rather have Pete as secretary of defense than a war monger. That would obey the deep state to shoot missiles into Russia. Pete would question that. He fought in a war. He knows what it takes. It is not the glamour portrayed in the movies. But of course the communist are screaming bloody murder if a thinking, knowledgeable person is appointed. They want yes men. We don’t need generals to run the DOD. We need someone that has seen the workings of the military from the view of a soldier. As well as from the military leadership side. The dems should be thankful for this appointment. It is not any longer the elites and weapon manufacturers running the DOD.
The media are watching their power being deleted and they are grasping and gasping. I’m loving the winning again after 4 years trying to survive under the carnival of freaks, shills and grifters inhabiting the White House!
According to one of the Founding Fathers, the quality of virtue in a population is essential to the continuing success of a republic. As is evidenced by ancient historiacal records, absent that quality, that form of government and the civilization it supports will be doomed to failure. This country and its governemntal stucture was founded by people with deep religious convictions and associations with others of like philosophical persuasions. To be successful, this republic must continue its founding traditions, or it will follow its historical antecedents.
Anti-faith and flat out wrong, They should be glad that we have decent, faith guided, law abiding people to serve our country.
When you’re catching a lot of Flak, you know you’re over the target. I’m reading American Crusade. This dude is the real deal. And I still want to know why NOBODY was held responsible for the soldiers killed on our way out of Afghanistan.
So if a Black man were to have either tattoo on his person, would he be labeled a Black nationalist? And would that be bad or good? I get so confused by the leftist contortionism. Pearl twisting hysteria is so unbecoming.
Pete Hegseth is a good choice, and brings much to this new role. Our enemy has been exposed, and now we know that it’s a full-on “war” against anything & anyone who claims the name of Christ. But guess what? We’ve already won! We just have to this kind of “mopping up”…Prayers for him, that he will be “strong and of good courage” for he “hasn’t been this way before!”
The Democrats goal is the destruction of this country. They’re going to find out their judgment will be eternal. And George Soros can’t help them with that, he will be as well. The Democrats are the epitome of evil, they will burn this nation to the ground so they can rule over the ashes
Pete Hegseth is a great choice for Sec Def. For far too long, too many career bureaucrats have infiltrated our armed forces with woke ideologies and political ambition. What we need in the Pentagon as well as all flag rank officers, are true leaders focused on the mission of the defense of our Republic against external threats, not philosophical theories that are rooted in Marxist ideology. The mission requires developing and leading the most advanced and lethal force possible. Otherwise, we will find ourselves in a hot conflict for our very existence as a sovereign nation, with far too many flag draped coffins containing our treasured warriors who are unnecessarily sacrificed by a bunch of bureaucrats focused solely on career enhancement by acquiescing to their political masters’ every whim. True leaders will understand their mission and bring their experiences to bear in order to ensure that our armed forces are equipped, trained and led to win vs. any adversary. History has proven time and again that readiness is a posture that is concentrated on winning, which also presents a deterrent to would-be aggressors, preserves the lives of our warfighters and our Republic.
Evil people look to create more evilness. They thrive on that.
According to the extreme Left, I guess Jesus was an extremist and a terrorist too.
Pleasing the dem’s is the last thing some of us are interested in. Personally I want to forget they even exist.
Not a sellout of the military industries and their cronies.
That’s what scares them
The biblical signs of the Second Coming are manifesting themselves. Christians will be on the target of everything. Fortunately we are on the right side. Hold tight to your beliefs and proudly live the truth as a true disciple of Christ. Be strong… all will be well in the end.
Back Off from Pete leave him alone
DEI should not be a priority of any organization. Effectively carrying out the mission is what should be the priority. When DEI is a goal, how do you know it is being accomplished? Success is measured by the number of people hired from various minority categories you establish. In other words, you succeed by quietly acknowledging quotas, which have been deemed illegal by the Supreme Court.
It doesn’t matter to me what any person believes or doesn’t believes but I personally believe that when a person dies they WILL face their maker and then they will have to “explain” themselves!
Similar to this stupidity is what I heard a woman say in a “news” interview. She said all black people know when they see an American flag in someone’s yard that there are racists living there. Every day we hear that something that is simply a symbol of what we believe has deemed us haters. Our country has gone so far down the tubes (I am trying to be nice), I fear President Trump and all his wonderful cabinet picks will not be able to pull us out. Quite simply, Satan is desperately trying to take us all to hell with him, cause he knows his time is short!
I myself don’t have or want any tattoos . but if you want one then showing your religion would be the best one’s to get. The leftist media will cry about anything. They lost the election so now they will try to stop what ever they can.
Democrats are simply despicable. How on earth have they become so evil?
The legacy media is infected with hate and bias. Their news reporters are no longer journalists. They are now propagandists. Let this evil run its course and it will lead to its own destruction. It is a shame that these attacks on Trump’s cabinet appointees are happening but it was expected and a further disgrace to the legacy media.
I would like to see him go in and clean house.
God wills it you liberal morons and you must live with it. hegseth’s a great choice and. pete will play a huge part in making the military great again, DEI is over.
Time to develop a set of consequences for this type of media behavior and diatribes. Man consists of three levels: the physical; the intellectual; the spiritual. The left needs to get over it and understand that God belongs in our daily lives, not in some obscure, Marxist rage to existentially destroy all faith and lead us all down The Road To Serfdom.
The numbers show that fewer and fewer people are paying any attention to leftist news sources. They are becoming more and more irrelevant.
Who would these people suggest for DOD …Steven King, Kamala Harris, Tim Waltz, Nancy Pelosi, Beelzebub or Joyce Behar?
Pete Hegseth is one of the good guys. I have read all of his books. He is a Christian,patriot, and warrior. The trifecta for the Devil’s disciple media. I would walk through the gates of hell and back for him.
It will be great to see the Pentagon politician/non-warriors cleaned out and replaced with real American warriors, such that if we ever get into another war (God forbid) we will win it fast. From Korea until the present Americans have not been wise in letting politicians execute war policy. Let Congress vote up or down to engage any enemy of America, then let the military execute.
AP – Anti-American Propaganda
Of course, he is a threat to the left. But less than I would be. For example, Bibi was nicer to Hamaa than I would have been. When I got done, you wouldn’t be able to grow weeds in Gaza.
Pete should be confirmed for secretary of defense. Everyone should stand by Pete!
Hey, This is a great article. I have to agree with some of the others. Pete has to be the right man for the job if the looney lefties are after him. Ha. I hope his Christianity scares the crap out of them!!!! What they don’t know is he’s middle of the road not them
Americans need no further proof that lame stream media is the enemy withing
That’s what Dems do when they can find nothing bad on good people, they have to attack with false and demeaning statements! I have found that most people who are religious are good people who value others and follow the Ten Commandments, like America’s founders did. And that’s why they put “In God We Trust on our money and government buildings! The way Democraps and those on the left are attacking Pete Hegseth, means he must be the right choice for the job!
I have read many excellent comments below. It’s time we have a religious military leader again. George Washington admonished his troops to pray to God for help and to give up immoral behavior so they would be worthy of God’s divine intervention during the Revolutionary War. I am grateful that President Trump has selected a Christian to lead our military. God is mightier that all the armies and navies of the earth. So, someone that believes in Christ and will pray for His divine help in protecting and defending our nation is a wonderful choice in my opinion.
For a country whose roots were formed by Christian radicals seeking freedom from religious oppression or a country that continued to be built on the backs of what would have been labeled religious radicals—seeking freedom from mass hysteria and targeted death, the USA has advanced to be the model of Human success to the World. We all live in a creation by a supreme being for the purpose of Faith and the benefits of Goodness for every Human. It is convenient to practice Hate through personal, inadequate, single based understanding. If symbols reflect personal intent, then, Thank God America sent the singular message of demanding change to this narrow minded radical state of mind exhibited in-the previous 4- years of radical domination. Re-electing President Trump signaled the great incentive of restoring “One Nation Under God.” Hopefully that will be the great reforging of our nation in the direction of Goodness for All—whatever that individual choice is to be. If many tattoos is the choice, then let’s look at an individual’s character and substance rather than a someone’s external opinion of what any intended meaning might be.
I have found that, as in the old adage: “That it is better to remain silent and thought a fool, than to open the mouth and removing all doubt. Perhaps that should now be put into effect.
I am a veteran,and like Pete along with his tattoos.However,I am very much concerned about his lack of management experience.I was a captain, and medical services officer in the USAF,and later a civilian hospital CEO.I would be overwhelmed managing the Pentagon.I hope Pete brings TRUSTED aides to help him manage.He can’t do it alone in that hostile environment.I would have preferred to have him be in charge of the VA.That really needs cleaning out !
These anti Christian organizations should lose their media rights. This country needs a reset and unbiased, truthful reporting is a giant step in the positive direction.
Our country was founded by people of faith. Our Constitution is a document which takes many of its proponents from that faith. The Ten Commandments are the basis of how good people should treat one another and it has worked beautifully for over 100 years. The fact that the Democratic Party has thrown the Constitution and the Ten Commandments in the trash is one of the biggest reasons they were told “NO” on Nov. 5th. The majority of Americans even if not practicing Christians, see how the Democrats are destroying our country with their trying to lead us into a completely Godless society where evil and hate for others rules. I never even thought much about evil being a real thing until the last 4 years. The Biden/Harris regime was the epitome of evil in their trying to destroy our country. Power and money is the only thing they worship and now they see what that brought them. May people of that debased character never be our “leaders” again!
From my perspective the individual members of the Main Stream Media along with the individual democratic members of the Democratic Party have no moral or ethical values that they live by, zero belief systems. They are all like spaghetti throwers…checking to see if the spaghetti is done let’s take an issue today, pull one out of the hat, throw it out there and see if it sticks.
Great journalism, keep up the good work.
The bigger problem is the hatchet job regarding the police report. Megyn Kelly did a masterful job of dissecting the way the media have misrepresented and lied about that. She showed the major discrepancies- no way the Jane Doe is truthful. She is married and trying to save herself at Pete’s expense.
It is refreshing to see a man of God in our government.
OMGosh, the rabid liberals are going to harass pretty much anyone President Trump picks that is proud of his Christian beliefs. This just proves that they worship the anti Christ and are terrified of anyone who believes in God, Jesus and are not afraid to show their faith.
As far as I am concerned, their frenzy proves to me that Trump has picked the right man for the job. From what I have found out about Pete Hegseth makes me feel safer already. I am delighted to have him Secretary of Defense and I know he will do a great job.
Yes the left was about to have a fit no matter who was assigned to restore the military. I also think the criticism is out of bounds and will not stick.