Pete Hegseth's "Deus Vult" tattoo requires a better explanation
The Secretary of Defense nominee says it's a Christian motto, nothing more. That's not a comforting excuse.
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Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has a tattoo that’s both a disturbing Christian phrase or a disturbing white supremacist symbol. Either way you slice it, it deserves an explanation and Hegseth refuses to give one, instead accusing his critics of “Anti-Christian bigotry.”
Hegseth made waves when he was announced as the defense secretary pick because, despite his military history, he’s best known as a Fox News host… on weekends. (Not even the top tier of the network’s propagandists.)
But the tattoo reading “Deus Vult” made waves when his National Guard colleagues spotted it a few years ago.
It’s not his only tattoo. It’s not even his only Christian tattoo (he also has a large Jerusalem Cross on his chest) which is very interesting given Leviticus 19.28. But it’s the one that’s received the most attention—and for good reason.
The Washington Post reports:
Travis Akers, then a naval intelligence officer, told The Washington Post that he looked further and spotted a close-up image Hegseth posted of his bicep months earlier that clearly showed the Latin words “Deus Vult.” Researching the phrase online, Akers found that it was a Christian battle cry from the First Crusade in the Middle Ages: “God wills it.” Though the phrase remains in use among some ordinary Christians, especially Catholics, Akers said his research showed that it had become popular with the Proud Boys, Three Percenters and other extremists groups that participated in the siege at the Capitol.
…
The Deus Vult tattoo, which appears on Hegseth’s arm as early as 2018, invokes a phrase that has grown popular among some Christians — it is the rallying cry of a Catholic school in New Jersey and the title of a podcast hosted by two Catholic priests. But it has also been used by extremists, including the man who opened fire on two New Zealand mosques in 2019 — killing 49 Muslims — and white nationalists, such as some of those who marched in Charlottesville in 2017. It appeared on at least one flag carried by rioters on Jan. 6.
Which of those explanations is better?
Hegseth is clearly aware of the Crusades reference since he wrote at the end of his book, American Crusade, “See you on the battlefield… Together, with God’s help, we will save America. Deus vult!” But celebrating a battle cry from the Crusades is hardly praiseworthy. (It’s not hard to imagine the Christian Right’s over-the-top outrage if a Muslim considered for a Cabinet position had the Arabic equivalent of “God wills it” tattooed on his body.) Using a reference to a holy war is beyond disturbing for someone who wants to head up the entire U.S. military. Why does he want to cosplay as a Crusader? Even if you take Hegseth at his word, the idea that “God wills it” can be used to justify any kind of atrocity imaginable as long as you’re convinced your personal god is okay with it.
The alternative, that Hegseth supports the right-wing extremists, is more far-fetched but who gets a large tattoo of anything without considering how the symbol is currently being used by people? It’s not like the phrase was only adopted by extremists a couple of years ago.
To be clear, this alone isn’t the reason Hegseth shouldn’t be confirmed. He doesn’t have the qualifications for the job he’s about to take. Being in the military doesn’t automatically make you capable of running it. Beyond the tattoo, Hegseth said that putting women in combat roles hurts the military (it doesn’t) and been accused of sexual assault (and then paid the woman to keep quiet). He famously threw an axe at a random person on live TV. He’s unqualified for all kinds of reasons.
But it’s telling how conservatives are coelescing around the tattoo as if all the criticism is based on Hegseth’s faith and none of the other very concerning reasons (which they conveniently want everyone to ignore).
J.D. Vance eagerly joined that pile-on, saying a nebulous they were going after Hegseth for the “Christian motto” and condemning the Associated Press for it’s supposed “anti-Christian bigotry.”
The AP simply reported on how a colleague of Hegseth, who understood the symbol and how it’s used by extremist groups, reported him as a possible “insider threat.” Because of that, Hegseth was asked to “stand down rather than report for duty for the inaugural events” in 2001. Instead of calling on Hegseth to offer a plausible explanation of the tattoo, Vance condemned journalism because that’s how Republicans respond to any news that makes them look bad. (It’s never the facts. It’s always the people reporting on the facts.)
Hegseth poured more gasoline on that explanation, responding to Vance, “Anti-Christian bigotry in the media on full display” and that “this type of targeting of Christians, conservatives, patriots and everyday Americans will stop on DAY ONE at DJT’s DoD.” As if the military is in any way anti-Christian.
There’s no anti-Christian bigotry in this discussion. But while we’re on the subject, “Deus Vult” isn’t a “Christian motto.”
“What Would Jesus Do?” is a Christian motto.
A Bible verse might be a Christian motto.
“Deus Vult” was a rallying cry during a holy war. At best, it’s a phrase some Christians use because they want to impose their faith on everyone else, a quality that should be unacceptable for anyone trying to become Defense Secretary. (Being a Christian is obviously not disqualifying. Treating Christianity as the default religion for the military should be.)
None of this is likely to derail his nomination. But it’s probably the first of many similar battles we’ll see in the coming months. Whenever someone points out a troubling fact about one of Trump’s allies, they will inevitably call it religious persecution, and their gullible, white evangelical base will eat it up because they believe their side can do no wrong.
If Democrats are able to question Hegseth during his confirmation hearings (a big if), they should ask Hegseth to explain what he loves so much about the Crusades that he adopted their slogan. Make him answer the question. It won’t change the outcome, but that shouldn’t stop Democrats from pointing out the problems with Christian Nationalism.
Just as with Trump himself, there’s nothing these nominees can do that will lead to pushback by conservative Christians because they know all they have to do is throw a few mentions of Jesus into anything they say to get their voters to let it slide. That’s how strong the religious glue is among Republicans.
Faith is nothing more than a way for conservatives to get their supporters to ignore all of the incompetence and cruelty that’s taking place in their name. Trump and his allies know it. The question is whether their base will ever have the self-awareness to realize what’s going on.
Hegseth isn't fit to serve. As for his tats, those are a sin. Leviticus 19:28
Christians are always the first people to claim they're being persecuted, such is the depth of their entrenched sense of privilege. History shows time and again that no group is quicker to persecute others than religious leaders with secular power. Hegseth rose to the rank of Major in the National Guard. That is NOT a spell binding military career. He has made it clear he intends to fire four star generals who do not share his Christo-fascist world view. Hegseth is on record as saying the U.S. military needs to be the flaming sword of Christ. I find a statement like that absolutely horrifying. No one should be foolish enough to expect Senate Republicans to honor their Constitutional duties and reject this absurdly unfit man.