Trump Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth’s books foreground anti-Muslim rhetoric

Hegseth's conspiracy theory- and falsehood-laden book American Crusade depicts Islam as historic enemy of west

Donald Trump's defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth, who has the crusader motto deus vult" tattooed on his arm, has put bigoted anti-Muslim rhetoric at the center of several of his published books, according to a Guardian review of the materials.

Hegseth, especially in 2020's American Crusade, depicts Islam as a natural, historic enemy of the west; presents distorted versions of Muslim doctrine in great replacement"-style racist conspiracy theories; treats leftists and Muslims as bound together in their efforts to subvert the US; and idolises medieval crusaders.