November 16th 2024.
Pete Hegseth, a veteran of the Army National Guard and a Fox News host, was nominated by former President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense. However, his appointment was met with some controversy when a fellow service member raised concerns about a tattoo on Hegseth's chest that is associated with white supremacist groups. This caused him to be flagged as a potential "Insider Threat."
Despite this, Hegseth has downplayed the involvement of military members and veterans in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol and has been critical of the Pentagon's efforts to address extremism within the ranks. He has even claimed that he was unfairly pulled from his duties of guarding President Joe Biden's inauguration due to his tattoo being misconstrued as a sign of extremism.
Recently, a fellow member of Hegseth's National Guard unit, who was also a security manager and part of an anti-terrorism team at the time, shared an email with The Associated Press expressing concern about a different tattoo that is often used by white supremacists. He believed this could potentially indicate an "Insider Threat" within the unit.
If Hegseth were to take on the role of leading the Department of Defense, it would mean that someone who has dismissed the issue of extremism in the military would be overseeing a department that was deeply concerned about the military-style tactics used during the January 6 attack. Additionally, Hegseth has shown support for members of the military who have been accused of war crimes and has been critical of the military justice system.
Despite attempts to reach out to Hegseth and the Trump transition team for comment, there has been no response. The Associated Press previously reported that from 2017 to 2023, over 480 people with a military background were accused of ideologically driven extremist crimes, including more than 230 arrests made in connection with the January 6 insurrection.
While these numbers may seem relatively small in comparison to the number of military members who serve honorably, it is worth noting that plots involving individuals with military backgrounds are more likely to result in mass casualties. This has been a concern for current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who has stated that extremism is not widespread within the US military.
However, Hegseth, along with many Trump supporters, has minimized the seriousness of the January 6 riot and the role of individuals with military training in the attack. In fact, on a panel on Fox News shortly after the incident, Hegseth portrayed the rioters as patriots who "love freedom" and were "re-awoken" to the reality of what they believe the left has done to their country.
This sentiment is concerning, considering that of the 14 people convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the attack, eight have a military background. While most of those arrested after January 6 were no longer serving, there were still over 20 individuals who were active-duty at the time of the attack.
In his book "The War on Warriors," Hegseth dismisses the issue of extremism within the military as "fake" and "manufactured." He has also been critical of efforts made by the Pentagon to remove individuals who have been deemed to hold extremist views from the ranks. Hegseth believes that these efforts have led to the dismissal of "rank-and-file patriots" from their positions.
He has even gone as far as to claim that the Pentagon is not upholding their oath to protect the country. In a segment on Fox News about Navy veteran Jacob Chansley, also known as the "QAnon Shaman," Hegseth played a misleading video clip from his colleague Tucker Carlson, portraying Chansley as a passive bystander. In reality, Chansley was among the first to enter the Capitol building and has since pleaded guilty to a felony charge.
Hegseth has also expressed support for individuals who have been convicted of war crimes. He served for almost 20 years in the military and has been deployed to various locations, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay. He has been awarded two Bronze Stars for his service.
Pete Hegseth, a military veteran and host at Fox News, was chosen by former president Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense. However, during his time in the Army National Guard, he was labeled as a potential "Insider Threat" by a fellow service member due to a tattoo associated with white supremacist groups. Despite this, Hegseth has downplayed the involvement of military members in the January 6th attack and criticized the Pentagon's efforts to address extremism within the ranks.
He claims that he was unfairly identified as an extremist due to a cross tattoo on his chest. However, this week, a former Guard member who was the unit's security manager at the time, came forward and shared an email he had sent to the unit's leadership, flagging a different tattoo that had been used by white supremacists. He was concerned that this tattoo could be an indication of an "Insider Threat."
If Hegseth were to assume office, it would mean that someone who has dismissed the issue of extremism in the military would be in charge of a department that reacted with alarm to the January 6th attack. He has also shown support for members of the military accused of war crimes and criticized the military's justice system. Despite attempts to reach out for comment, neither Hegseth nor the Trump transition team responded.
According to an investigation by the Associated Press, there have been over 480 people with a military background accused of extremist crimes from 2017 to 2023. This includes over 230 individuals arrested in connection with the January 6th insurrection. While this number may seem small compared to the number of honorable military members, it is concerning that plots involving individuals with military backgrounds are more likely to involve mass casualties.
Since the January 6th attack, Hegseth has downplayed the seriousness of the incident and the involvement of individuals with military training. He has even gone as far as to portray the rioters as "patriots" who "love freedom" and have been "re-awoken" to the realities of the left's impact on the country. However, of the 14 people convicted of the most serious charge of seditious conspiracy, 8 have a military background.
Hegseth has also been critical of the Pentagon's efforts to address extremism within the military, calling it a "fake" and "manufactured" problem. He has accused them of pushing out "rank-and-file patriots" and ignoring the oath they took to uphold the values of the country. In his book, "The War on Warriors," he claims that efforts to root out extremism have made America less safe.
In a segment on Fox News, Hegseth even played a misleading video clip to downplay the involvement of a Navy veteran known as the "QAnon Shaman" in the January 6th attack. He has also shown support for convicted war criminals, such as the "QAnon Shaman," claiming that the way they have been treated by the justice system is "disgusting." He even insinuated that the left wants to lock up all Trump supporters.
Despite his strong opinions and criticism of the military's handling of extremism, Hegseth himself served for almost 20 years and deployed to various countries. He was awarded two Bronze Stars for his service. However, his beliefs and actions have raised concerns about his potential leadership at the Department of Defense.
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