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Medieval Tattoos and Troubled Past Complicate Hegseth's Defense Secretary Nomination
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Medieval-era tattoos and controversial incidents put the future of the US Secretary of Defense position in doubt
The wave of criticism and questions continues regarding President Donald Trump's choice of former Fox News host Pete Hegseth for the Defense Secretary position.
Hegseth's lawyer began acknowledging payments made to a woman who accused him of sexual assault at a hotel in Monterey, California, as part of a deal to cover up their meeting, despite confirming the encounter was consensual, according to the Washington Post.
Attorney Timothy Parlatore stated that his client "was clearly intoxicated" when the incident occurred years ago. Parlatore added that his client responded to the payment request fearing her accusations would lead to his "immediate dismissal from Fox" where he worked as a program host.
The statement coincided with a detailed memo from an anonymous woman reaching Trump's campaign team this week, accusing the 44-year-old Defense Secretary nominee of raping a woman in her thirties in his room after drinking at the hotel bar.
The thrice-married former soldier was investigated in a sexual assault case in 2017, but no formal charges were filed after the anonymous woman filed a police complaint.
Hegseth's confirmation faces additional obstacles related to his limited experience and tattoos associated with extremist groups, especially since he needs Senate approval to take charge of the Pentagon and oversee 3.4 million employees.
These tattoos previously led to his exclusion from the National Guard unit participating in President Joe Biden's inauguration in 2020.
Hegseth revealed during a podcast episode with Sean Ryan early this month that one of his military colleagues reported him for suspected white nationalism due to his tattoos, highlighting that it concerned a "Jerusalem Cross" tattoo from medieval times.
His body also bears the phrase "Deus Vult" (God wills it) used by Crusaders in the Middle Ages. Despite white supremacists and neo-Nazis recently adopting medieval European symbols and slogans, Hegseth emphasized that his tattoos only reflect his faith.
The author of "American Crusade" (2020) affirmed that "the Jerusalem Cross is nothing more than a Christian symbol." Social media users recently shared a video showing him carrying medieval weapons, and he appeared in television footage participating in an axe-throwing competition, where he missed the target and hit a passerby who miraculously survived.
The former forty-something host holds degrees from prestigious universities, including Princeton and a master's from Harvard, and previously hosted "Fox & Friends Weekend" on Fox News.
Levant-Agencies
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