Hegseth has two tattoos of Crusades-era symbols that are associated with far-right extremism and Christian nationalism.
Hegseth’s tattoos, political views and religious affiliation and background are consistent with an extreme strain of Christian nationalism,
according to Matthew Taylor, a scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, & Jewish Studies. Specifically, he appears to be belong to a fringe denomination known as Reformed Reconstructionism, which
believes in applying biblical Christian law to society, exclusively male leadership, and actively preparing the world for the prophesied return of Jesus.
Crusader symbols have also grown popular on the far-right, which sees the imagery as a nod to an era of European Christian wars against Muslims and Jews. The shooter who committed the 2019 New Zealand mosque
massacre had
adopted symbols of the Crusades, and
a crusader symbol also appeared at the Jan. 6, 2021, riot in the U.S. Capitol as well as
at the 2017 far-right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Hegseth has two tattoos of Crusades-era symbols that are associated with far-right extremism and Christian nationalism.
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