Donald Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense signals the Republican Party’s open embrace of militarism, far-right Christian-evangelican nationalism, and corporate nepotism. Hegseth is a Fox News personality and an avid advocate of the Koch brothers vast far-right political lobbying network . His ideology, rhetoric, and track record reveal a vision of the U.S. military as a tool for imperialist conquest and domestic oppression, wielded with religious fundamentalism and complete disregard for international norms and laws.
Hegseth is not merely an ideologue; he is the embodiment of a Republican Party that has abandoned even the pretense of diplomacy, accountability, and justice. His appointment would mark a new low for U.S. military policy, one that heavily prioritises violence, corporate profit, and religious zealotry over basic human decency.
A War Department by Any Other Name
Central to this vision is one of Hegseth’s first priorities: renaming the Department of Defence (DoD) to the “War Department.” While this may appear as mere rebranding, it is a deliberate declaration of intent. Hegseth’s proposal is not a novel idea, nor is it his alone – it is emblematic of a much larger, deeply rooted vision of U.S. imperialism.
The DoD’s crimes in the Middle East, from indiscriminate drone strikes to extrajudicial killings and the destruction of civilian infrastructure, have cemented its reputation amongst billions worldwide, particularly in the Global South and among anti-imperialist movements. For these countries, the DoD’S actions represent not defence but proactive and systemic violence carried out in order to maintain the existing hegemony. One notable example is the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, during which airstrikes targeted critical infrastructure, leaving civilians without access to basic services like clean water and reliable electricity. Similarly, in Afghanistan, the 2015 U.S. airstrike on a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Kunduz killed 42 people and obliterated a vital healthcare facility.
Trump’s nomination reinforces that his new administration does not seek to reform or reckon with these realities. Instead, it seeks to intensify this violence as a source of pride – a badge of honour, both figuratively and in Hegseth’s case, literally as part of his being. After Hegseth’s nomination, a photo of him was widely shared online in which Hegseth displays a tattoo of a Jerusalem cross, an emblem associated with the far-right view of the Christian Crusades militarism, reflecting his deeply ingrained white nationalist and xenophobic worldview. By wearing his convictions on his skin, Hegseth signals his unapologetic embrace* of this crusader mentality, one that legitimises war and oppression in the name of cultural and religious supremacy. These tattoos possibly barred him from serving in the National Guard in 2021, as he was excluded from President Joe Biden’s inauguration due to his extremist affiliations, underscoring the seriousness of his Christian nationalist ties.
In his book “American Crusade”, Hegseth explicitly argues that the U.S. must embrace its Christian heritage to fend off Islam and communism, framing U.S. military aggression as a divine mission.
Pardoning War Criminals and Guantanamo Legacy
Hegseth takes pride in his role in lobbying for Trump’s pardons of war criminals in 2019, highlighting his belief that U.S. soldiers should operate above the law. He helped pardon Clint Lorance and Mathew Golsteyn, accused of second and first degree murder in Afghanistan, respectively. He rallied to support the pardoning of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was accused of murdering an unarmed teenager in Iraq and posing with the corpse.
These pardons were part of a larger narrative in which the U.S. military, under successive administrations, has provided soldiers legal cover, enabling them to escape accountability for actions deemed to be war crimes. This results in a culture of impunity that shields these criminals from accountability and celebrates violence as a tool of imperialism and hegemonic power.
This culture of impunity was cultivated and reinforced by bipartisan support for carceral systems that uphold imperial expansion. For years, both leading parties in the US have refused to shut down the notorious Guantanamo bay prison. As a former guard at the infamous U.S. military base, Hegseth served during a period marked by the widespread use of torture and indefinite detention of Muslim prisoners, the majority of whom were never formally charged with any crime. In his book ‘In the Arena’, he advocates for “enhanced interrogation techniques,” such as waterboarding, aligning with the lawless brutality he both witnessed and may have practiced in Guantanamo.
Zionism and the Crusader Mentality
Hegseth’s alignment with far-right Zionism is evident in his consistent, unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign. Commenting on the current genocide in Gaza, Hegseth has made statements on platforms such as Fox & Friends Weekend and other Fox News shows earlier this year, remarking that ‘What Israel is about to do is bring Hell down on Hamas. Israel is about to do real war. Israel will be stacking bodies because Netanyahu isn’t messing around.’ His idolisation of the far-right Israeli government, particularly his endorsement of Israel’s militaristic policies, extends beyond rhetoric, as he consistently frames U.S. and Israeli foreign policy as a joint front against Islamic nations. The U.S. have long financed and enabled the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), through military aid and intelligence sharing. Hegseth and his allies in the Trumpian faction of the Grand Old Party (GOP), through their inflammatory rhetoric and justification for these campaigns, stoke the flames of the on-going genocide in Gaza while rewriting history.
However, his ideology extends far beyond this; it is deeply rooted in a broader framework of Orientalism and evangelical Christian nationalism. In his 2020 book, American Crusade, Hegseth repeatedly invokes violent, medieval imagery that ties directly to a post-9/11 resurgence of fear mongering that paints the Muslim populations as an existential threat to the West, a rhetoric steeped in dehumanisation.
This narrative perpetuates the Islamophobic trope that Muslims represent an invading force, both culturally and militarily, providing justifications for the War on Terror, where entire populations were subjected to suspicion, violence, and surveillance under the guise of national security. This rhetoric not only reinforces these far-right evangelical nationalist views but seeks to normalise the violence. This approach has profound implications, suggesting that the U.S. military strategies are driven less by geopolitical realities and more by religious and cultural antagonism.
Misogyny in Combat and Attacks on Diversity
Such a militaristic agenda goes hand-in-hand with Hegseth’s regressive social policies which manifest within the armed forces in far-right views on gender and race. He has repeatedly attacked efforts to diversify the military, arguing that these initiatives weaken its effectiveness. Specifically, he has commented on the inclusion of women in combat roles, asserting that their presence leads to more casualties and undermines unit cohesion. This reactionary position reflects not only an outdated understanding of gender dynamics but also a broader hostility towards social progress and inclusion. This reactionary stance reflects a deep-seated belief in maintaining a predominantly white, male military structure.
Hegseth’s hostility toward diversity is rooted in white nationalism. In his book, ‘The War on Warriors’, he writes about his views on diversity programmes as a betrayal of “America’s white sons and daughters,” appealing to the far-right’s racial discrimination. By framing inclusivity as a threat to military strength, Hegseth perpetuates the narrative that only white, male soldiers are capable of defending the nation, further exacerbating white supremacy in the Pentagon.
The opposing narrative in the realm of military propaganda can be seen with Hegseth’s allies abroad. The Israeli Defense Forces, more accurately described as the Israel Occupation Forces (IOF), have long used diversity as an inclusion tool for their own propaganda, particularly in showcasing women in these combat roles. In fact, the IOF has fetishised and hyper-sexualised female soldiers, promoting them as symbols of empowerment and modernity, while simultaneously engaging in repression and colonial violence. This contradiction is rooted in the racialised nature of both white nationalism and colonialism, where the inclusion of women and minorities is framed as progressive domestically, but serves a more insidious purpose in the context of empire building and racialised violence.
Regressive Gender Views: Personal History
These regressive views on gender within the military align disturbingly with his own personal conduct, which has been marked by allegations of mistreating women. In 2017, Hegseth faced an accusation of sexual assault at an event in Monterey, California. Although no charges were filed, reports surfaced that he paid the accuser a settlement to prevent any further public disclosure. These allegations were made more complicated by a public email exchange in 2018 from his mother, Penelope Hegseth, in which she accused him of routinely mistreating women for years. She wrote, ‘I have no respect for any man that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego.” Though she later retracted her statement, defending him in subsequent interviews, the original message highlights a possible pattern of perpetual abusive behaviour.
Nuclear Dismissal
Perhaps most alarming is his dismissal of the moral and strategic dangers of nuclear war. Referring to the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that killed over 200,000 people, he infamously wrote: “They won. Who cares?” This flippant disregard for the catastrophic consequences of nuclear warfare demonstrated is terrifying when present in an individual who could be responsible for weapons that could end human civilisation. This symbolises a broader contempt for the very norms that are meant to govern armed conflict and international relations, reflected also in his rejection of the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations.
The Koch Brothers: War Machine Funders
Pete Hegseth’s rise within the corporate world and the political realm cannot be understood without examining the influence of the Koch brothers, Charles and the late David, whose network of advocacy groups, and political operatives have reshaped U.S. politics in their libertarian image.
The Kochs have funded organisations like Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) to advance a corporatist agenda under the guise of free-market ideals. Their influence extends far beyond veterans’ healthcare; through questionable contributions to Republican election campaigns, namely Nikki Haley, and policy think tanks, they have systematically dismantled labour unions, rolled back environmental protections, and pushed for the privatisation of public services. Hegseth, as a former executive director of CVA, has been a key player in this strategy, leveraging his platform to promote the Kochs’ vision of a government stripped of public accountability and overrun by corporate interests. The Kochs’ support for figures like Hegseth reveals the broader ideological machinery driving modern Republican militarism: one that seeks not only endless wars abroad but the erosion of democracy and public institutions at home.
Hegseth has shaped his career through his close ties with the Koch network, particularly through his leadership of Concerned Veterans for America (CVA). This Koch-funded group advocates for the privatisation of veterans’ healthcare under the guise of “choice.” The CVA’s agenda was made to dismantle the Veterans Health Administration, leaving vulnerable veterans at the mercy of profit-driven private companies.
His tenure at CVA fit seamlessly into this agenda and exemplified the first of these priorities; exploiting patriotic rhetoric to serve corporate interests. Documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act reveal that CVA influenced key Veteran Affairs policies during the Trump administration, often to the detriment of veterans’ care. Coupled with the shadowy influence of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago associates, Hegseth helped cement the CVA as a playground for unaccountable, profit-hungry actors.
This alignment with the Koch network extends far beyond veterans’ issues, there is a broader far-right agenda at play, that perpetuates military expansion, surveillance, climate change denial and a weakening of regulatory policies. The Koch brothers, Charles and David, wield tremendous political influence through their vast network of organisations, think tanks, and Super Political Action Committees (PAC’s).
A prime example of the Koch network’s far-reaching influence is their financial backing of some of the Senate’s most hawkish lawmakers. Sens. Ron Johnson, Richard Burr, and Marcio Rubio – strong proponents of expanded surveillance, torture, and military intervention – have received crucial campaign funding from Koch-linked groups. They have poured millions of dollars into shoring up the campaigns of these senators, exposing the reality of their political operations.
The Kochs have long been criticised for deploying their vast resources to manipulate the political landscape through massive campaign contributions and grassroots mobilisation. This extends to their environmental policy as well, funding climate change denial campaigns, promoting policies that shield their fossil fuel interests from regulation, and lobbying to weaken environmental protections. The brothers have used their financial powers to support groups that advocate for policies like the dismantling of the Environmental Protection Agency and opposing action on climate change. Their political apparatus, including their think tanks, such as the Heritage Foundation, Freedom Partners and Americans for Prosperity (AFP Action), and the American Enterprise Institute, push for a radical expansion of government power when it comes to military intervention, law enforcement and curtailing reproductive rights and environmental policies.
Through their network, the Kochs fund a variety of political activities from local elections to national campaigns. Their involvement in the 2020 Senate races, with millions of dollars directed to support war-mongering candidates, such as David Perdue and Joni Ernst, is just one example of how they use their wealth to shape U.S. policy in ways that benefit their corporate empire and political ideology.
Ultimately, Hegseth’s role in the Koch network is reflective of his greater political strategy to advance policies that serve the interests of the ultra-wealthy, particularly through the expansion of military spending and his susceptibility to corruption.
By nominating Hegseth, Trump is not just endorsing a candidate, he is endorsing a vision of the USA as a crusader state, waging perpetual war on foreign nations. The question is not whether Hegseth would lead his new War Department to unforeseen heights of destruction; it is whether the world can withstand it.