Trump Pentagon pick had been flagged by fellow service member as possible 'Insider Threat'
WASHINGTON (AP) Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible Insider Threat by a fellow service member due to a tattoo on his bicep thats associated with white supremacist groups.
Hegseth, who has downplayed the role of military members and veterans in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack and railed against the Pentagons subsequent efforts to address extremism in the ranks, has said he was pulled by his District of Columbia National Guard unit from guarding Joe Bidens January 2021 inauguration. Hes said he was unfairly identified as an extremist due to a cross tattoo on his chest.
This week, however, a fellow Guard member who was the units security manager and on an anti-terrorism team at the time, shared with The Associated Press an email he sent to the units leadership flagging a different tattoo reading Deus Vult thats been used by white supremacists, concerned it was an indication of an Insider Threat.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-defense-department-pentagon-hegseth-fox-news-8cd9f065e54a7cbbaceeec8bae9261a6

underpants
(189,222 posts)In a podcast interview released earlier this month, Hegseth described getting a briefing from a military lawyer in 2005 in Baghdad on the rules of engagement. Hegseth said the lawyer told them they could not shoot someone carrying a rocket-propelled grenade unless it was pointed at them.
I remember walking out of that briefing, pulling my platoon together and being like, Guys were not doing that. You know, like if you see an enemy and they, you know, engage before hes able to point his weapon at you and shoot, were going to have your back, Hegseth said.
All they do is take one incident and yell war criminal, he said, referring to The New York Times, the left and Democrats, adding, Why wouldnt we back these guys up even if they werent perfect?
Submariner
(12,908 posts)You know the important stuff ..facial contouring. Fuk security.