Are Pete Hegseth's tattoos symbols of 'Christian nationalism'?

Hegseth, 44, is a former Fox News host and retired Army major who served in the infantry and was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Like many current and former military members, Hegseth has an array of tattoos with Christian and American symbolism.

One of the tattoos garnering the most attention is a symbol on Hegseth's chest known as the "Jerusalem Cross," which consists of one large cross surrounded by four smaller crosses.

He explained to Fox News Digital that the Jerusalem Cross has a dual meaning of representing the five wounds of Christ's crucifixion and the gospel being taken to every corner of the world. In the latter interpretation, he said that the large cross represents Jerusalem from which the gospels reach the north, south, east and west, which are represented by the four smaller crosses.

While he said that he cannot speak to why Hegseth chose to tattoo the Jerusalem Cross on himself, he is not familiar with the cross being used to represent Christian supremacy sentiments. On the contrary, he said that the cross symbolizes the message of salvation being taken to all people. He also said that it is a fairly common practice for Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem to tattoo a Jerusalem Cross on themselves as a sign that they have visited the holy city.

"That was something that was happening, not necessarily for everyone, but for many people who traveled," he said. "And even today, when they go to the Holy Land to have the Jerusalem cross tattooed on their body."

In a video explaining his tattoo, Schmitz said that it serves as a reminder that "I never, ever, no matter what-I never want to be able to take off Jesus."

"If you are baptized, you've been clothed in Christ. You can't take Him off. Same with me. I've been clothed in Christ in my baptism, and I can't take him off, even if I wanted to. But there is some kind of expression of that. Now it's on my arm," he said.

Similarly, Jennifer Greenberg, an evangelical author and composer, told Fox News Digital that the Jerusalem Cross is also very common in evangelical circles.

She said she was "shocked" to see the cross being compared to a swastika online, which compelled her to respond in a viral X post.

"To see something so beautiful and so precious, such a symbol of rich Christian heritage equated with Nazism, you know, white supremacy, it was just really disgusting," she said.

According to Greenberg, the cross continues to be worn by pastors and to adorn Bibles and Christian books.

She also pointed out that Hegseth's other controversial tattoos, "Deus Vult" and "Join or Die," are common Christian and American symbols and are not associated with extremism.

However, perhaps more controversial is the Deus Vult tattoo, Latin for "God wills it." This saying was a common battle cry during the Crusades, but, as Greenberg explained, it is also a common saying in Christianity indicating trust and abandonment of oneself to God's providence.

"What they were saying is, 'God, no matter what happens to me, if I die in battle, if I'm terribly injured, no matter what happens, may your will be done,'" she said. "I think it makes a lot of sense that someone like Pete Hegseth, being a veteran, would resonate with that kind of symbol because, as a veteran, as a soldier, he would have gone into battle. He would have walked between landmines, and this would have been a comforting thought for him. No matter what happens to me, God, let your will be done."