We Got Rid Of Pete Hegseth's Tattoos & He Looks Totally Different

Donald Trump has long made it clear he's not a fan of tattoos, so we figured we'd give his Secretary of War a makeover he'd likely approve of. Call it a make-up gift for the time Static Media's photo editor gave Barron Trump face tats, because we present to you: Pete Hegseth sans ink. 

Static Media/Getty Images

What do you know? Hegseth still looks every bit the MAGA man even without his much-talked-about tattoos. After all, his t-shirt still goes a long way in making his political views abundantly clear, and even without the gun-adapted Stars and Stripes, the aforementioned shirt and hat make it clear he is indeed proud to be an American. We can almost hear the ghost of Trump past telling his son, "No tattoos. I don't ever want to see tattoos on you" (via X). Bonus points if you heard that in slow-mo. 

Of course, not having the tats does strip Hegseth of some of his controversial street cred. ICYMI, back in 2021, he was told not to join the District of Columbia National Guard Unit for Joe Biden's inauguration after their security manager noticed his "Deus Vult" (Latin for "God wills it") tattoo. As seen in the email he subsequently shared with AP, Master Sgt. DeRicko Gaither wrote, "The phrase 'Deus Vult' is associated with Supremacist groups in which White-Supremacist use of #DeusVult and a return to medieval Catholicism. ... Disseminated in the form of hashtags and internet memes, Deus Vult has enjoyed popularity with members of the alt-right because of its perceived representation of the clash of civilizations between the Christian West and the Islamic world." Gaither ended his email by saying, "This falls along the line of Insider Threat." Like we said, Hegseth was not allowed to participate. 

Static Media's in-house photo editor may have removed the tats from Pete Hegseth's arm, but his "A Pledge a Day Keeps the Commies Away" shirt was in the way of the Jerusalem Cross inked on his chest — and something tells us the Secretary of War would be thrilled. 

Like the "Deus Vult" tat, Hegseth's chest marking also rocked his reputation, with many pointing out its links to the Crusades and thus religious violence. Granted, the secretary and others have pointed out that it is also used as a Christian religious symbol ... but it being tattooed on the same person who also had "Deus Vult" on him (the very saying the crusaders used to substantiate their violence) didn't exactly hinder the accusations that Hegseth was wearing his shady side on his sleeve (and chest). That, and the fact that he authored a book called "American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free," in which he writes that the West owed the crusaders their thanks. Nevertheless, he didn't miss the opportunity to accuse his superiors of treating him unfairly when the issue was brought up in his 2025 confirmation hearing. "I was part of the mobilization to defend that inauguration as someone who'd been a proud supporter of Donald Trump but also a member of the military who had orders to come to Washington, D.C., to guard that inauguration, and at the last minute those orders were revoked," he lamented (via PBS NewsHour). TBH, we're kind of surprised he wanted to go. 

At the end of the day, something tells us Hegseth has zero plans to get any of his tattoos removed, controversial or not. However, for those who wish he'd reconsider, feel free to return for a glimpse at what could be.