Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who recently assumed the top defense role following the renaming of the Department of Defense, is facing renewed scrutiny over a 2021 incident where he was flagged as a potential "insider threat" by a fellow Guardsman. The tweet from "Reject Metric" highlighted the event, stating, "Well, Amy, it's possible that Secretary of War Hegseth still remembers when he was removed from duty in 2020 after a fellow guardsman flagged him as an 'insider threat' because he has a tattoo on his arm." This incident led to Hegseth's removal from duty guarding President Joe Biden's inauguration.
The "insider threat" flag, raised by D.C. National Guard security manager DeRicko Gaither, specifically concerned a "Deus Vult" tattoo on Hegseth's bicep. Gaither and others associated the Latin phrase, which translates to "God wills it" and originated from the Crusades, with white supremacist groups. Hegseth, however, has maintained that the tattoo, along with a "Jerusalem Cross" on his chest, represents his Christian faith and that he was unfairly labeled an extremist.
Hegseth was sworn in as Secretary of Defense on January 25, 2025, after being nominated by President Donald Trump. On September 5, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order symbolically renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War, with Hegseth actively supporting the change. He advocated for a "warrior ethos" and a shift from a defensive to an offensive posture for the U.S. military, stating, "This name change is not just about renaming, it's about restoring."
The resurfacing of the 2021 incident adds a layer of complexity to Hegseth's current high-profile position. He has previously downplayed concerns about extremism within the military ranks and criticized efforts to address it. The original flag by Gaither was made amidst heightened concerns about potential internal threats following the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, underscoring the sensitivity of such allegations within military contexts.