He may be President-elect Donald J. Trump's most “unconventional” cabinet pick (in the words of Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee), but Pete Hegseth took his seat in the G50 chamber of Congress when he arrived at Dirksen's Senate Office building for his confirmation hearing as secretary of defense, looking exactly like a spitting officer in Trump's army.
Mr. Hegseth entered the venue to the kind of applause and chants of “USA, USA” usually reserved for celebrities, but he wasn't wearing his National Guard uniform or the dusty boots from his military service. His testimony was clear (one might wonder how fluent he was in the common language of costume), but he was wearing the de facto uniform of the new regime. One was right next to the classic Washington uniform, an obvious fit for what Hegseth called “the most important development of my life” in his testimony.
Specifically, he was wearing Trump's now-iconic uniform. A bright blue suit, a pristine white shirt with a spread collar, and a perfectly tied red tie, this time with subtle navy stripes, serve as a Pavlovian allusion to the American flag. It's a uniform that has been adopted by Trump loyalists like Vice President-elect J.D. Vance. It's a sign of loyalty not just to the country but to Mr. Trump himself.
For those who didn't understand the photo, Hegseth added a red, white, and blue Old Glory-print pocket square (which he also wore on previous visits to the Capitol). . Not to mention the stars and stripes socks and flag belt buckles.
His only jewelry was his wedding ring (his wife, Jennifer Roche, was seated directly behind him), a lapel pin representing the emblem of the 187th Infantry Regiment, and a jacket he wore in honor of soldier Jorge M. Oliveira. The only thing he had on was the bracelet he was wearing. After losing his life in Afghanistan, he created a series of accessories that served as a means of communicating his values.
His hair returned to its gel state without a single hair in place. His jaw clenched heroically as the crowd interrupted him from time to time.
Almost all of his tattoos were hidden, including a large Jerusalem cross, a “Join or Die” snake, and an American flag with its stripes replaced by an AR-15. A sliver of ink peeked out from the sleeve of his carefully buttoned shirt, running from his right forearm to his wrist. (This seemed to be the final outcome of his “We the People” screenplay.)
All that was left behind was an American flag cowboy hat. The lining of Mr. Hegseth's Uncle Sam jacket, which he sometimes displays in his role as a Fox News host, was not visible, but it was probably hidden under the neatly buttoned jacket. (A flicker of shirt sleeves suggested there may have been red underneath.)
Indeed, he did not appear to be the hard-drinking, adulterous, budget-misunderstood figure that critics of his nomination had portrayed him to be. He seemed clean-cut, not politically correct, but patriotically correct. Who could doubt his love for his country and standards? He carried it on his back.
And if his suit was a little more extreme than the usual Capitol and CEO attire, than the navy suit, white shirt, red polka dot tie and navy suit worn by Florida Sen. Rick Scott. I wish it was a little more noticeable through the screen. , the light blue shirt and patterned red tie worn by Sen. Angus King of Maine, or even the navy dress and matching jacket worn by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, are close enough. Ta.
Amidst theatrics and speeches from many committee members and Mr. Hegseth himself, his uniform made a statement of its own. It had less to do with the specifics of leading one of the government's largest departments and more to do with his ability to play the role on the show, for which he will soon become the country's executive producer.
