‘Christian motto’ or nationalist dog whistle? Could a tattoo derail Trump’s pick for defense secretary?

Story by Mike Bedigan. November 15, 2024.

  • Tattoo Controversy: Pete Hegseth, nominated by Donald Trump for Secretary of Defense, has a “Deus Vult1” tattoo, which has sparked debate over its association with white supremacist groups versus being a Christian motto.
  • Reactions: Opinions are divided, with some defending Pete Hegseth as a victim of anti-Christian bigotry, while others argue the tattoo disqualifies him from the position.
  • Background: Pete Hegseth is a Faux News host and Army National Guard veteran, previously flagged as a potential “Insider Threat” due to his tattoos.
  • Nomination: Despite the controversy, Trump supports Pete Hegseth, highlighting his dedication to the military and America First principles.

Pete Hegseth, the Faux News host, chosen by Trump to be Secretary of Defense in his incoming cabinet is raising red flags of concern that he is a alt-right white nationalist2 because of the “Deus Vult1” tattoo. Originating in the Middle Ages during the Crusades, it has been co-opted in modern times as a symbol of far-right white nationalists and alt-right white supremacists.

“They’re attacking Pete 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.” – Vance wrote on X3.

“Pete Hegseth’s tattoos are the ones that white nationalists get. Federal law enforcement knows these symbols well. Pete Hegseth was banned4 from national guard duty at Biden’s inauguration for those tattoos. The Senate should consider this disqualifying for a nominee for Secretary of Defense…” – Olivia Troye, former White House Homeland Security and counter-terrorism adviser, said that the mark should disqualify Pete Hegseth from consideration for the position.

According to Pete Hegseth, the “Deus Vult1” phrase is also the last two words of his 2020 book American Crusade: Our Fight To Stay Free.

Pete Hegseth has downplayed the role of military members and veterans in the January 6 2021 attack and railed against the Pentagon’s subsequent efforts to address extremism in the ranks5.

Hesgeth previously claimed he was pulled by his District of Columbia National Guard unit from guarding Joe Biden’s January 2021 inauguration after being unfairly identified as an extremist due to another tattoo – a Jerusalem cross – on his chest.

That cross has a long history in Christianity but has lately been co-opted by some far-right groups as a symbol of the fight for Western civilization.

The Associated Press’s report follows an email sent to the outlet from a fellow Guard member who was the unit’s security manager and on an anti-terrorism team at the time, that proved concerns were in fact raised at the time about the bicep tattoo.

“Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart, and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down.” – president-elect Trump said in a statement on Tuesday.

Adoption by right-wing groups as slogan – Wikipedia1

Deus vult has been adopted as a slogan by a variety of Christian rights and Christian nationalist groups, as well as alt-right and white supremacist groups. This usage was disseminated widely online through hashtags and internet memes. Crusader memes (such as an image of a Knight Templar accompanied by the caption “I’ll see your jihad and raise you one crusade”) are popular on far-right internet pages. It is one of several pieces of Crusader imagery used by groups characterized in The Washington Post as far-right Christian nationalists and dominionists. One perspective is that racist movements co-opt the slogans and iconography of the European medieval period, to evoke a fantasy of a “pure” white European heritage, a nostalgic view that is historically inaccurate, and has been denounced by medievalist scholars[who?] as a gross distortion of history.[dubious – discuss]

The “Deus vult” slogan has been used by perpetrators of right-wing terrorism; it was repeatedly used by the perpetrator of the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting and was one of the tattoos on the body of the perpetrator of the 2023 Allen, Texas outlet mall shooting. Deus Vult was among the slogans and symbols used during the violent far-right riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.

The slogan, as well as other Knights Templar imagery, has also been associated with far-right subgroups in the U.S. that merge Christian nationalism with gun culture; a Florida gun manufacturer engraved the slogan on its “Crusader” model of AR-15-style rifle. The motto is also used by Christian nationalist groups in Europe; the phrase was portrayed on large banners carried by unspecified groups characterized by The Guardian as far-right marchers in 2017 in Warsaw, Poland.

  1. Deus vult – Wikipedia ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  2. Pentagon pick left Guard after being reported as possible ‘insider threat’ due to tattoo. Story by Aaron Davis, Alex Horton, Dan Lamothe, Evan Hill. November 16, 2024. ↩

  3. @RalphHightower: spoken like a true Trump sycophant. ↩

  4. @RalphHightower: Give the January 6 2021 Insurrection just two weeks apart from the inauguration of Biden, it was wise of the National Guard to yank anyone who may be considered a threat. ↩

  5. @RalphHightower: All those who participated in the January 6, 2021 Insurrection should have multi-year prison sentences. ↩