The funeral of the late President Jimmy Carter was held Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral, and the event was attended by all of the living former presidents.
Viewers of the event would have noticed the magnificent Gothic stone architecture of the structure, the carefully crafted pews, and other architectural features of the historic Episcopal church.
But there was one particular Christian symbol in that building that was especially noticed by the nation, even beyond its beauty, because of its relevance in a current controversy started by a leading Democrat.
Carter’s casket, draped with an American flag, was positioned over a massive Jerusalem Cross emblazoned on a wooden platform.
That symbol, composed of one large cross and four smaller crosses to represent the authors of the four Gospels, comes from the time of the Crusades, but has an extensive Christian history beyond that period.
That imagery is nevertheless tied up with a complaint from Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren against Pete Hegseth, who President-elect Donald Trump nominated to lead the Defense Department, because Hegseth happens to have that symbol tattooed on his chest.
As one social media user astutely noted, “Elizabeth Warren will be furious when she finds out they put Jimmy Carter on Pete Hegseth’s tattoo.”
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
Warren recently wrote a 33-page complaint to Hegseth detailing her concerns with his nomination. Beyond attacking his opposition to wokeness in the military and his hesitancy to send women into combat zones, she brought back a controversy related to the Fox News host and Harvard alum’s ink.
Should Hegseth sue Warren for slander?
Yes: 96% (524 Votes)
No: 4% (21 Votes)
Beyond that tattoo, Hegseth has the phrase “Deus Vult,” which is Latin for “God Wills It” and is also associated with the Crusades, tattooed on his bicep.
That tattoo was indeed the basis of a complaint a few years back from a fellow Army National Guard officer, who apparently thought it was a sign of Hegseth’s right-wing extremism. Hegseth was therefore unable to help secure the inauguration of President Joe Biden.
“You were also removed from President Biden’s inauguration because of concerns that you were an insider threat after reports that your ‘Deus Vult’ tattoo ‘was a Christian expression associated with right-wing extremism,’” she wrote.
“We cannot have a Defense Secretary whose fellow servicemembers feel concerned enough about to report as a potential insider threat,” the lawmaker added.
In other words, a woke officer got spooked by a Christian service member because of his scary and controversial “extremist” tattoos, and then a Democratic lawmaker is haphazardly using that complaint as ammunition against a political opponent.
Despite the complaints from Warren, however, the sort of ink sported by Hegseth is apparently non-controversial enough for our country to embrace at funeral services for our deceased leaders.
Who knew that the funeral of a peanut farmer from Georgia would clear the name of an Ivy League graduate accused of right-wing extremism?
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