(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) What do former President Jimmy Carter and Pete Hegseth have in common? Both have been linked to a symbol that Sen. Elizabeth Warren cynically suggested is tied to so-called right-wing extremism.
Yes, you read that right.
In a 33-page letter to Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Warren scolded him for having a Jerusalem cross tattoo on his chest.
Citing Reuters, Warren claimed on Monday that the cross “was a Christian expression associated with right-wing extremism.”
Yet neither Reuters nor Warren provided evidence linking Hegseth to any hate group.
Contrary to these claims, the Jerusalem cross is one of the most widely recognized Christian symbols. It features a large Greek cross with smaller crosses in each corner.
The five parts of the cross have been given different meanings throughout history, all of which focused on Christ, according to the National Catholic Register.
Interpretations range from the cross representing the Gospels and Christ to symbolizing the wounds on Christ’s feet and hands when he was crucified.
The Jerusalem cross is so prominent that it’s inlaid in the chancel floor of the Washington National Cathedral, where Carter’s body was placed during his funeral on Thursday.
This irony ignited mocking reactions aimed at Warren’s attacks on Hegseth.
“Elizabeth Warren will be furious when she finds out they put Jimmy Carter on Pete Hegseth’s tattoo,” quipped popular X page KanekoaTheGreat.
Elizabeth Warren will be furious when she finds out they put Jimmy Carter on Pete Hegseth's tattoo. pic.twitter.com/qbtTGZR1ei
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) January 9, 2025
Renowned author and journalist Jerry Dunleavy IV echoed the sentiment, pointing out that the cross “is so ubiquitous a Christian symbol that it is carved on the floor of the National Cathedral where Carter just had his funeral.”
reminder that the Jerusalem Cross — which Hegseth has tattooed on him & which leftists falsely labeled a sign of white supremacy or far right whatever — is so ubiquitous a Christian symbol that it is carved on the floor of the National Cathedral where Carter just had his funeral. pic.twitter.com/4pl1ASVoVT
— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) January 9, 2025
Breitbart’s John Carney joined the chorus of criticism: “How did Pete Hegseth’s crypto-nazi tattoo get etched into the floor of the National Cathedral before Carter’s funeral?”
X personality Alex Lorusso added his sarcasm in a post tagging Warren directly: “Looking forward to my Senator, @ewarren, disavowing the corpse of Jimmy Carter as a dangerous neo-Nazi, Christian Nationalist, White Supremacist or something.”
Lorusso added, “Your silence is deafening, Senator.”
Republican strategist Arthur Schwartz shared the cover of the Carter funeral’s handout to ask: “Who put Pete Hegseth’s Nazi tattoo on the cover of Jimmy Carter’s funeral program?”
Who put Pete Hegseth’s Nazi tattoo on the cover of Jimmy Carter’s funeral program? pic.twitter.com/GeHyfNAPPm
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) January 9, 2025
Republicans have dismissed the attacks on Hegseth as a partisan attempt to derail Trump’s incoming cabinet.
Trump nominated Hegseth, a former Fox News host, veteran and nonprofit executive, to head the Department of Defense on Nov. 13. This position requires confirmation by the Senate.
