The new defense secretary’s goals run counter to the military’s apolitical tradition and efforts to build a force that mirrors America.

Hegseth has said this tattoo, which has been associated with extremist groups, prevented him from serving as a member of the National Guard at President Joe Biden's inauguration.

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth as the nation’s defense secretary in a dramatic late-night vote. Republicans pushed back questions about Hegseth's qualifications amid allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.

In “The War on Warriors,” published last year, the nominee to head the Pentagon lashes out at “social justice saboteurs” and other fellow Americans.

Pete Hegseth defended his chest tattoo as a standard Christian symbol, not an extremist symbol. “I was identified as an extremist by my own unit for a Christian tattoo,” he said. The tattoo in question was “Deus Vult,

CNN's political commentators Scott Jennings and Karen Finney join CNN's Dana Bash to give their takeaways of Pete Hegseth's Senate confirmation hearing. DANA BASH: Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's pick to run the Department of Defense,

Critics of Trump's defense secretary nominee say the symbol has been adopted by extremist groups, including white supremacists.

In an interview with Megyn Kelly on her SiriusXM show in December, Pete Hegseth—an Army veteran and former Fox News host—referred to "General Order Number 1," which prohibits military personnel from consuming alcohol during deployment.

Defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth will publicly face senators on Tuesday for ... of those more traditional nominees didn’t bring,” said North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer, a Republican member of the panel. “He’ll be disruptive in a good way.”

Pete Hegseth. The hearing opened Tuesday as senators question whether the former combat veteran and TV news show host is fit to lead the U.S. military. North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer asked about Hegseth’s tattoos, which have come under ...

The usual RINOs may vote against President Donald Trump’s secretary of defense nominee, Pete Hegseth, causing a tie vote.