Lots of ink to seal the deal.
President-elect Donald Trump's controversial nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, is a military veteran, two-time Ivy Leaguer, two-time Bronze Star recipient, and his entire body is covered in tattoos.
The 44-year-old “Fox and Friends” host has served tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and holds degrees from both Princeton and Harvard universities.
Hegseth's father warned him not to get tattoos from an early age, so it wasn't until his late 30s that he started getting tattoos. told Big Read.
Despite the short period of time, the challenge of aspiring Pentagon chiefs continues. Hegseth currently has more than a dozen tattoos on his right arm and chest, some of which are already controversial.
jerusalem cross
Hegseth's most famous tattoo is probably the large Jerusalem cross on his chest.
The symbol, which consists of one large cross and four smaller crosses around it, dates back to the time of the Crusades, but has more recently been associated with problematic Christian nationalists.
The ink made headlines in 2021 when Hegseth was one of several National Guard members ordered to resign during Joe Biden's inauguration.
meanwhile podcast interviewHegseth claimed he was fired because of his Jerusalem cross tattoo.
“I was labeled an extremist by a National Guard unit in Washington, D.C., because of my tattoos, and my order to protect President Biden for his inauguration was revoked,” he said.
“I got a lukewarm phone call from my commander the day before, and he told me, in a major-like manner, that I could quit now. We don't need you, we're fine. What do you mean?” Everybody's there. He said, no, no, I couldn't say it.”
“Deus Valt”
The words “Deus Vult”, which means “God's will” in Latin, are also inscribed on Hegseth's biceps.
This phrase is the last sentence of his book “The American Crusade”.
Like the Jerusalem Cross, the “Deus Valt” is associated with the First Crusade in the early 1000s, when it was said to be a battle cry against Christian invaders.
hebrew cross and sword
Hegseth has a sword and cross painted on his arm, a reference to Matthew 10:34 in the New Testament. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ”
The tattoo was the first Hegseth got while on vacation with his family, he told Big Lead.
Later, while working on the Fox series, Hegseth added Hebrew letters spelling out the word “Yahweh” to the cross and sword, he explained.
Hegseth said the word means “Jesus” in Hebrew, but official sources actually translate the phrase as “I am” or “he will be,” which is a reference to the Old Testament. is the name of the god.
Ciro
Sticking to his penchant for religious symbolism in his tattoos, Hegseth also has the Greek letters chi and rho tattooed on his upper arm.
These letters are the first two of the Greek word “Christ,” and the monogram was a common symbol in early Christianity.
“We are the people”
Another theme in Hegseth's tattoo collection is American and military patriotism.
Embroidered on his forearm are the words “We the people,” part of the opening line of the U.S. Constitution, and 1775 in Roman numerals above it.
1775 was the year Georgia joined Britain's other 12 colonies in the Second Continental Congress. The iconic homage is covered in 13 stars around Hegseth's elbow.
“Join or Die” Snake
Hegseth's American Revolution tattoo also includes a snake on the inside of his forearm that reads “Join or Die.”
This caricature first appeared in Benjamin Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754. And it's rumored that the Founding Father himself may have actually painted this painting, which features a serpent cut into eight parts.
At the time, this striking image was intended to persuade the British government to join the colonies in their fight against the French and Native Americans. Twenty years later, the snake was revived as a popular symbol of colonial freedom.
american flag and AR-15
Hegseth's upper arm is emblazoned with the current American flag with an AR-15 rifle forming the bottom of the stripe.
In an interview with The Big Read, Hegseth said the gun was an AR-15 he carried while deployed to Iraq.
infantry regiment patch
One of Hegseth's biggest tattoos is the Army's 187th Infantry Regiment patch on his shoulder.
The history of this regiment dates back to World War II, when it was active as a glider unit.
Hegseth's tattoo depicts the emblem of the 187th Division, which includes an upturned sword, and its motto, “Ne Desit Virtus,” or “Never Lose Courage.”
