What Hegseth’s tattoos tell us about the war in Iran

Name: What Hegseth’s tattoos tell us about the war in Iran
Uploaded: 2026-05-01T20:13:39.547Z
Description: Pete Hegseth, the current Secretary of Defense, has a deep-seated obsession with the Crusades, medieval religious wars. This is evident through his two Crusades-referencing tattoos, including the Jeru

Vox·May 1, 2026

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Pete Hegseth, the current Secretary of Defense, has a deep-seated obsession with the Crusades, medieval religious wars. This is evident through his two Crusades-referencing tattoos, including the Jerusalem cross, and his book "American Crusade," with a chapter titled "Make the Crusade Great Again." Hegseth’s views, which he expressed as a Fox News host in 2020, advocate for an "American Crusade" where Christians and Jewish allies "push Islamism back." Now, as Secretary of Defense in 2026, he is a major proponent of the war in Iran, which has killed thousands since February 28th. Many senior cabinet members had reservations about the war, but Hegseth consistently showed enthusiasm, leading Trump to call it "Pete's War." Hegseth interprets the Crusades as a defensive war against an aggressive Islam, a historical claim the speaker refutes as "100% not true." This oversimplified view positions crusaders as progenitors of the American right, urging a repeat of such actions. His tattoos, "Deus Vult" (God wills it) and the Jerusalem Cross, are medieval symbols associated with anti-Islamic and Islamophobic sentiments among some American military personnel, evoking a "neo-crusader ideology." Hegseth’s rhetoric, including a prayer calling for "overwhelming violence" against "enemies of righteousness" in Iran, aligns with his Crusades framing. This "Christianity versus Islam" perspective, where the US military has "divine providence," is dangerous. It frames the conflict as a zero-sum battle, potentially excusing restraints on conduct and leading to events like the destruction of a school in Iran. Such language also feeds into the narratives of groups like al-Qaeda, ISIS, and even the Islamic Republic of Iran, who would welcome portraying the conflict as a Christian war against Islam. For Hegseth, the distinction between historical caliphs and modern Iran is irrelevant; they are "bad guys," Muslims, enemies in a "cosmic war between God and the devil," making violence inevitable.