Are there verified reports or photos showing Pete Hegseth with white supremacist tattoos?

1. What the images show: tattoos tied to Crusader imagery

Photographs that circulated after Hegseth’s nomination clearly show a large Jerusalem cross on his chest and the Latin phrase “Deus Vult” (“God wills it”) inked on his arm; those images were published and discussed by outlets including NPR and PBS ^{[1] [4]}. Snopes and other reporting trace the specific tattoos to Christian/Crusader iconography rather than to historically Nazi insignia ^{[3] [2]}.

2. Do any outlets call them “white supremacist” tattoos? — Competing framings

Some outlets and commentators describe those symbols as used by white‑supremacist or Christian‑nationalist groups: PBS notes the “Deus Vult” phrase and Crusader imagery have been adopted by white Christian nationalists, and Religion Dispatches and others argue the tattoos “represent a Christian nationalist worldview” that is attractive to some white supremacists ^{[4] [5]}. At the same time, Snopes — after reviewing the images and context — concluded there is “no clear evidence” any of Hegseth’s tattoos are direct Nazi or white‑supremacist symbols ^{[2] [3]}.

3. Official reactions and internal military flags

Reporting says a fellow National Guard service member raised concerns internally in 2021 about Hegseth’s “Deus Vult” tattoo as a potential “insider threat,” and that this concern was cited in AP reporting and subsequent coverage ^{[6] [7]}. Hegseth has publicly denied that his tattoos indicate white‑supremacist beliefs, calling criticism “anti‑Christian bigotry” ^[8].

4. What fact‑checkers conclude about “Nazi” or explicit white‑supremacist marks

Fact‑checking updates from Snopes explicitly state that while several of Hegseth’s tattoos use symbols now associated with Christian nationalism, none have “direct connections to Nazi or white supremacist ideologies” based on available evidence they reviewed ^{[3] [2]}. Snopes updated its reporting to explain contested interpretations and regimental meanings for some symbols ^[3].

5. Context: why Crusader symbols are contentious today

Journalists and analysts explain the Jerusalem cross and “Deus Vult” are historical Crusader motifs with religious meaning but have been repurposed in contemporary online and extremist milieus as part of a militant Christian‑identity vocabulary; PBS and New Lines Magazine both frame the tattoos as signaling a crusading, exclusionary worldview to critics ^{[4] [9]}. Religion Dispatches argues those images are “popular among White [supremacist] and Christian nationalist groups,” linking the tattoos to broader concerns about ideology rather than to a single proven organizational tie ^[5].

6. Limits of current reporting and open questions

Available sources do not show any verified photograph or documentation that proves Hegseth is a member of an organized white‑supremacist group or that his tattoos were created explicitly as white‑supremacist insignia; fact‑checkers say the tattoos’ meaning depends on context and adoption by others ^{[2] [3]}. What remains contested is whether Hegseth’s intent and personal beliefs align with the extremist groups that sometimes use the same imagery — reporting documents associations and reactions, not a legal or organizational link ^{[5] [6]}.

7. Bottom line for readers evaluating the claim

Photos do exist showing Hegseth with Crusader‑era tattoos and the phrase “Deus Vult,” and multiple outlets report those images have been interpreted by critics as linked to white Christian nationalism ^{[1] [4] [5]}. Fact‑checkers — notably Snopes — reviewed the imagery and found no clear evidence they are Nazi or explicit white‑supremacist symbols, while acknowledging the symbols’ contemporary adoption by extremist actors ^{[2] [3]}.