"Did Not Wash Hands for 10 Years," "No Bacteria Present"... Past Remarks of US Defense Nominee

U.S. Defense Secretary Nominee Pete Hegseth
"Bacteria Don't Exist Because They Can't Be Seen"
"Ukraine War Is No Big Deal to Me"

Pete Hegseth, nominated as the U.S. Secretary of Defense, is being revisited for his statement that he "has not washed his hands for 10 years." Pete Hegseth Instagram

Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, has nominated Fox News host and veteran Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, bringing renewed attention to his past remarks.

According to the New York Post on the 13th (local time), Hegseth did not get tattoos in his youth due to his father's opposition, only starting in his late 30s. Photos posted on his social media accounts show several tattoos with Christian meanings on his upper body and arms. Notably, on his right chest is a Jerusalem Cross tattoo, which originated from the Crusades and is known to be favored by Christian nationalists recently.

Additionally, on his arm, he has the Latin phrase "Deus Vult" (meaning "God wills it") from the First Crusade, along with the first two Greek letters "chi" and "rho," symbolizing "Christ." Other tattoos include the first words of the U.S. Constitution, "We the People," the American flag, an AR-15 rifle used during his service in Iraq, and the 187th Infantry Regiment patch.

In 2015, during a live Fox News broadcast, Hegseth caused a dangerous incident by throwing an axe. He aimed at a target but missed, hitting the drum played by Jeff Prosperi, a member of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point's band. Prosperi sued Hegseth shortly after the incident, but the outcome of the lawsuit is unknown. Fox News apologized to Prosperi and reportedly offered medical treatment and other support.

In 2019, Hegseth sparked controversy by stating on air that he "had not washed his hands for 10 years." At the time, he claimed, "I get vaccinated," and argued that "bacteria cannot be seen with the naked eye, so they do not actually exist." Furthermore, at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he said, "The war happening in Ukraine is important," but added, "Compared to the crimes I witness on the streets, the excessive obsession with political correctness (PC) in our culture, the inflation I feel, and what is happening at the southern border, it is nothing." He also stated, "The dumbest thing said about the military on Earth is that 'diversity is our strength.'"