Patriotism, Christianity, and weapons: what Trump's tattoos mean for the US Secretary of Defense
Kyiv • UNN
Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and possible candidate for US Secretary of Defense, is covered with numerous tattoos. Most of them are dedicated to the Christian faith, American patriotism and military service.
Fox News host Pete Hegseth, whom Donald Trump has named as a candidate for the new Secretary of Defense, spoke about his tattoos. UNN writes about it with reference to Daily Mail.
Details
Pete Heggatt, one of Donald Trump's likely nominees for Secretary of Defense, is a U.S. Army veteran with dozens of tattoos on his right arm and chest. But he started getting tattoos recently, as his father discouraged him from getting tattoos at a young age.
He got his first tattoo only a few years ago, during a vacation with his family.
Hexet described the decision to get a tattoo as "spontaneous" after his wife Jen decided to get a small tattoo on her left bicep, and after that he continued to do more and more.
Much of his body art reflects his Christian faith, American patriotism, and his history of service in the U.S. Army.
One of his most distinctive tattoos is the Jerusalem Cross on the right side of his body, which consists of a large Christian cross surrounded by four smaller crosses in each quadrant. It is a centuries-old symbol that dates back to the 13th century, when it was used as a symbol of the Kingdom of Jerusalem during the Crusades.
In the 21st century, the cross has become more controversial because of its association with Christian nationalism.
Hegseth has the phrase "Deus Vult" tattooed on his bicep, which means "God's will be done." This phrase originated during the First Crusade as a battle cry for Christians.
In recent years, this phrase has also been adopted by far-right groups. Hegseth's book American Crusade, which he describes as an exploration of what America would be like without the American ideal, also ends with "Deus Vult.
Other Christian iconography on his arm includes a cross with a sword, which symbolizes the Bible verse Matthew 10:34.
It reads: "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." It was the first tattoo he got while on vacation with his family.
Hegseth also has a Chi-Ro symbol on his forearm. These are the letters of the Greek alphabet: chi (similar to X) and ro (similar to R). They are also the first two letters of the name of Christ in Greek. The monogram was an early symbol used to identify Christians.
His other tattoos are mostly dedicated to American patriotism and include many symbols and iconography associated with the US independence movement. On his forearm, he has a tattoo of "We the people", which is the first line of the constitution. Above this tattoo is the date 1775, the same year that the American War of Independence began, in Roman numerals.
Hegseth's elbow is surrounded by 13 stars, which may be a reference to the stars on the Betsy Ross flag, one of the first flags made to represent the United States and a precursor to the modern star-spangled banner.
His arm also features the iconic "join or die" snake, which is the oldest known representation of a colonial alliance created by colonists in colonial America.
He also has a modern image of the current US flag with a sniper at the bottom of the stars and stripes. This tattoo could be a reference to the Second Amendment, as Hegseth is a strong supporter of it.
One of his largest tattoos is located just below his shoulder - it is the patch of the 187th Infantry Regiment of the US Army, in which Hegseth served.
During an interview with Big Lead, Hegseth said that he plans to cover his entire arm with tattoos and then "resist the temptation" to get more.
Add
Pete Heggett, 44, has served in Afghanistan and Iraq and twice won a Bronze Star. Since 2017, he has hosted the program "Fox and Friends". He joined Fox News in 2014 after a failed attempt to run for the Minnesota Senate.
In 2021, Hegseth was part of the Minnesota National Guard, which was called to Washington to protect Joe Biden during his inauguration, but was then ordered to refuse to serve, allegedly because of his tattoo.
