News
‘Much Like the 11th Century’: Trump Defense Pick Called for American ‘Crusade’
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Defense, has expressed opposition to the United Nations as a “fully globalist” entity and attacked NATO as “a relic” that should be “scrapped and remade in order for freedom to be truly defended.” He has also advocated for the United States to ignore the Geneva Conventions, which govern humanitarian treatment in war. He has suggested that America’s military should tell Al Qaeda if they do not surrender, “we will rip your arms off and feed them to hogs,” while calling for a new “American crusade,” according to The Guardian.
“Our present moment is much like the 11th century,” Hegseth, a weekend co-host on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” wrote in his book, “American Crusade.”
The Guardian calls it “a striking passage” in which “he presents his support for Israel as a renewal of medieval crusades.”
“We don’t want to fight, but, like our fellow Christians a thousand years ago, we must. We need an American crusade,” Hegseth wrote. “We Christians – alongside our Jewish friends and their remarkable army in Israel – need to pick up the sword of unapologetic Americanism and defend ourselves.”
“For us as American crusaders, Israel embodies the soul of our American crusade – the ‘why’ to our ‘what’.”
RELATED: Hegseth Vetting Questioned Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegation
“Faith, family, freedom, and free enterprise; if you love those, learn to love the state of Israel. And then find an arena in which to fight for her,” he added.
Last week, news broke of Hegseth’s tattoos, one of which includes the words, “Deus vult.”
“Several experts have cited the use of ‘Deus vult’ by extremist groups,” according to The National Catholic Reporter. “The phrase — attributed to Pope Urban II ahead of the First Crusade in 1095, which sought to regain Christian control of the Holy Land from Muslim rule — has become an online hashtag, and has also appeared in anti-Muslim graffiti, with two Arkansas mosques defaced in 2016 with the text.”
Earlier this month The Bulwark noted that Hegseth “has made clear that he sees himself and Donald Trump—whom he has approvingly called a ‘Crusader in Chief’—as leaders in a holy war to reclaim America.”
They cite this passage from Hegseth’s 2020 book:
“Like crusaders and patriots past, Donald Trump’s red hat rebellion demonstrates that unapologetically going on offense is the only tenable strategy for the defense of our republic. Surrounded by the Left, with the odds stacked against us, only a crusade will do.”
The Guardian also reports that in his book Hegseth “asks bluntly: ‘Why do we fund the anti-American UN? Why is Islamist Turkey a member of Nato?'”
Hegseth “has attacked several key US alliances such as Nato, allied countries such as Turkey and international institutions such as the United Nations in two recent books, as well as saying US troops should not be bound by the Geneva conventions,” and “has tied US foreign policy almost entirely to the priority of Israel, a country of which he says: ‘If you love America, you should love Israel.'”
“Elsewhere,” The Guardian adds, “Hegseth appears to argue that the US military should ignore the Geneva conventions and any international laws governing the conduct of war, and instead ‘unleash them’ to become a ‘ruthless’, ‘uncompromising’ and ‘overwhelmingly lethal’ force geared to ‘winning our wars according to our own rules’.”
READ MORE: ‘Declaration of War on Expertise’: Experts Explain Danger of Trump ‘MAGA Zealot’ Nominees
In his 2024 book, “The War on Warriors,” Hegseth asks: “What if we treated the enemy the way they treated us?”
“Would that not be an incentive for the other side to reconsider their barbarism? Hey, Al Qaeda: if you surrender, we might spare your life. If you do not, we will rip your arms off and feed them to hogs.”
“We are just fighting with one hand behind our back – and the enemy knows it,” Hegseth complains. “If our warriors are forced to follow rules arbitrarily and asked to sacrifice more lives so that international tribunals feel better about themselves, aren’t we just better off winning our wars according to our own rules?!”
“Who cares what other countries think?” he concludes.
The Guardian also points to Hegseth’s successful efforts to have Donald Trump, during his first term, “pardon US soldiers charged or convicted of war crimes.”
Attorney Adam Cohen, Vice Chair of Lawyers for Good Government, pointing to The Guardian’s report writes: “The man Trump picked to be SecDef Said ‘The military and police..will be forced to make a choice’ Because ‘there will be some form of civil war’ So MAGA should start ‘an AMERICAN CRUSADE’ To ‘mock, humiliate, intimidate, and crush our leftist opponents’ HE MUST NOT BE CONFIRMED”
Cohen was pointing to another article at The Guardian on Hegseth, from Friday, that reads in part:
“In one of his five published books he wrote that in the event of a Democratic election victory in the US there would be a ‘national divorce’ in which ‘The military and police … will be forced to make a choice’ and ‘Yes, there will be some form of civil war.'”
“Hegseth’s 2020 book exhorts conservatives to undertake ‘an AMERICAN CRUSADE’, to ‘mock, humiliate, intimidate, and crush our leftist opponents’, to ‘attack first’ in response to a left he identifies with ‘sedition’, and he writes that the book ‘lays out the strategy we must employ in order to defeat America’s internal enemies’.”
Fred Wellman, an Army veteran of 22 years who served four combat tours, is now a political consultant and the host of “On Democracy.” Responding to Cohen’s post, he writes: “Pete Hegseth must step aside.”
READ MORE: ‘One of the Smallest Margins Since the 19th Century’: NYT Crushes Trump’s ‘Landslide’ Claim
Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr and a CC license
Enjoy this piece?
… then let us make a small request. The New Civil Rights Movement depends on readers like you to meet our ongoing expenses and continue producing quality progressive journalism. Three Silicon Valley giants consume 70 percent of all online advertising dollars, so we need your help to continue doing what we do.
NCRM is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. From unflinching coverage of religious extremism, to spotlighting efforts to roll back our rights, NCRM continues to speak truth to power. America needs independent voices like NCRM to be sure no one is forgotten.
Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Help ensure NCRM remains independent long into the future. Support progressive journalism with a one-time contribution to NCRM, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click here to donate by check.
 |
U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) is calling on President Donald Trump to support her bipartisan bill that would grant temporary legal status to undocumented immigrants, allowing them to remain in the United States. On immigration, Congresswoman Salazar says Trump could be just like Reagan was for communism or Lincoln was for slavery.
“There’s no way we can grow as a country and continue being the number one economy in the world if we don’t have hands,” Salazar said, referring to immigrant workers. “So let’s be intelligent. Let’s just bring them out of the shadows, make them pay—something that they’re not paying right now. Make them pay a fine, no federal programs, and they can go home for business, and they can buy a home.”
Her plan, the Dignity Act, would not provide amnesty or a path to citizenship. But, she says, it “offers a strong, commonsense approach and focused on putting American interests first.”
READ MORE: ‘Go Home’: Noem Tells Farmers to Help Their Undocumented Workers ‘Self Deport’
Salazar praised President Trump, saying with his so-called One Big beautiful Bill, “the economy is going to gonna burst, just like it happened in 2019.”
“I go back to the president. The president is the guy who can make this happen. There is no other president like Trump. Look what he did with Iran. Look what he did Venezuela, with China.”
“So I have no doubt, I have faith that he could be for immigration, what Lincoln was for slavery, and Reagan was for communism.”
Critics blasted Salazar’s comparisons.
“Rep. Salazar has used this line a few times and while I understand what she *means* to say I respectfully submit that she has not thought through the implications of what she *actually* said,” remarked attorney Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council. He added: “hint: Reagan was not good for Communism and Lincoln was not good for slavery.”
“Maria Salazar comparing Trump to Lincoln on slavery and Reagan on communism is beyond absurd,” wrote investment banker Evaristus Odinikaeze. “Lincoln fought to end human bondage. Reagan opposed totalitarian regimes. Trump put kids in cages, demonized immigrants, and ran on fear, not freedom. History will remember the difference. Seems like she meant to compare Trump to Nixon, not Lincoln.”
Watch the video below or at this link.
Rep. Maria Salazar: “There is no other president like Trump. I have faith that he could be for immigration what Lincoln was for slavery and Reagan was for communism. Just watch him.” pic.twitter.com/EpkwLzpuKT
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2025
READ MORE: Trump Appears to Forget He Appointed Fed Chair — Denies Rumors He May Fire Him
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem has a blunt message for undocumented farmworkers: “Go home.” She’s urging farmers to assist in the process—by helping those workers “self-deport.”
“I would encourage everybody,” Secretary Noem said on Wednesday, “if people are here in this country illegally, go home.”
“I mean, the law is the law, and we are upholding the law, and, the President is very clear that he doesn’t believe that the law should apply to some people and not to others—that there should be consequences for some people and not for others,” she said.
President Donald Trump has said that he and his administration are working on a plan to help farmers keep their undocumented workers, many of whom, he said, are “almost impossible to replace.” Trump suggested some form of sponsorship might be possible in the future, where farmers would be responsible for their workers who are undocumented.
READ MORE: Trump Appears to Forget He Appointed Fed Chair — Denies Rumors He May Fire Him
Noem said that every undocumented person, including the undocumented farm workers—has “the opportunity right now to self deport.”
“We will buy their plane ticket and when they land, they will be able to get $1,000 in their hand to care for their families, and they get the chance to come back, she claimed. Federal law places bans on some of those trying to return, in some cases for up to ten years.
“And so, that’s what I think is so remarkable, is that we will let them come back the right way, and we’re facilitating that today,” she insisted. “So every individual that’s here in this country that’s concerned, or every farmer out there that has somebody that’s working for them, that’s concerned, you know, you know, work with getting them home, so they can come back and get in the right way.”
READ MORE: ‘Divine Providence’: Johnson Paints Trump as ‘Miraculously’ Spared by God
Jeremy Konyndyk is the president of Refugees International.
He says, “Farmers face financial ruin over deportations.”
Noem’s “claim that people can ‘come back’ after self-deporting is ludicrous on its face,” Konyndyk adds. “Why then deport in the first place? And in any case, that does nothing for farmers who need crops picked NOW.”
President Donald Trump’s favorability on immigration continues to drop. What was once among his most positive categories now has him underwater.
“About half (52%) of Americans think that Trump’s approach to immigration policy is too harsh; 36% think it is about right and 7% think it is too soft,” according to a YouGov poll report published Tuesday. “At the start of Trump’s term, significantly fewer — 40% — thought his approach to immigration was too harsh; 43% thought it was about right and 4% said it was too soft. The largest shift has been among Independents: 57% currently think Trump’s approach is too harsh, up from 36% in January.”
Watch the video below or at this link.
Kristi Noem: “If people are here in this country illegally, go home. The law is the law … every farmer that has somebody working for them that’s concerned, work with getting them home.” pic.twitter.com/XBAEcydMqT
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2025
READ MORE: ‘Popping Champagne’: Russia Scoffs, Snubs Trump’s 100% Tariff Ultimatum
Image via Reuters
President Donald Trump is denying multiple reports that he intends to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, even as he continues to criticize him and express frustration over the Fed’s refusal to cut interest rates to the levels he has demanded. The Federal Reserve is an independent central bank, and the President has no legal authority to dictate its actions. On Wednesday, Trump criticized Powell, appeared to forget that he appointed him, and blamed President Joe Biden for his nomination.
Should Trump attempt to fire Powell, it would be an unprecedented move. The U.S. Supreme Court has indicated there are limits to the President’s authority to remove Fed officials.
On Tuesday evening, in a meeting with Republican lawmakers, Trump asked their opinion of firing Powell, whom he nominated in late 2017. Powell was renominated by President Joe Biden in 2021. The chairman of the Federal Reserve serves four-year terms, and Powell’s expires next year.
READ MORE: ‘Loathsome’: Fox Host’s ‘What Up, My Nazi?’ Rant Slammed by Civil Rights Icon
“The President asked lawmakers how they felt about firing the Fed Chair. They expressed approval for firing him. The President indicated he likely will soon,” a senior White House official told CNBC, NBC News reported.
“A recent Supreme Court decision indicated that the president does not have the authority to remove Fed officials at will,” NBC also reported.
But CNBC later reported that Trump denies he plans to fire Powell.
“We’re not planning on doing it,” he said. “It’s highly unlikely.”
Minutes ago, in the Oval Office, Trump appeared to forget he had been the first to nominate Powell as Fed chair. He told reporters that Powell is a “terrible Fed chair,” and he was surprised he had even been appointed. Trump added, “I was surprised, frankly, that Biden put him in and extended him.”
Responding to the video (below) the House Ways and Means Democrats asked, “Did he forget?”
U.S. Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) wrote: “Legit question, does he have memory issues? Or does he remember but doesn’t want people to know that this is his fed chair? I just want a normal leader in this job….”
Watch the video below or at this link.
Trump on Powell: “I was surprised he was appointed” (Trump appointed him) pic.twitter.com/bBAObtdigg
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 16, 2025
READ MORE: ‘Divine Providence’: Johnson Paints Trump as ‘Miraculously’ Spared by God
Image via Reuters
‘Loathsome’: Fox Host’s ‘What Up, My Nazi?’ Rant Slammed by Civil Rights Icon
Trump Appears to Forget He Appointed Fed Chair — Denies Rumors He May Fire Him
‘Go Home’: Noem Tells Farmers to Help Their Undocumented Workers ‘Self Deport’
Republican Says Trump on Immigration Could Be Like Lincoln Was for Slavery
Republican Says Trump on Immigration Could Be Like Lincoln Was for Slavery
‘Go Home’: Noem Tells Farmers to Help Their Undocumented Workers ‘Self Deport’
Trump Appears to Forget He Appointed Fed Chair — Denies Rumors He May Fire Him
‘Loathsome’: Fox Host’s ‘What Up, My Nazi?’ Rant Slammed by Civil Rights Icon
‘Popping Champagne’: Russia Scoffs, Snubs Trump’s 100% Tariff Ultimatum
News2 days ago‘Like Taking a Knife to a Gunfight’: Trump’s Russia Tariffs of ‘About 100%’ Mocked
News2 days agoAt Faith-Based Event Trump Courts Religious CEOs, Uses Expletive, Calls Dems ‘Evil’
News1 day ago‘Popping Champagne’: Russia Scoffs, Snubs Trump’s 100% Tariff Ultimatum
News2 days agoRollins Slams Medicaid, Touts Healthy Food to Cut Health Care Costs—GOP Cut Both Programs
News2 days agoTrump Official: Never Mind Rising Costs, President’s ‘Leadership’ Is Making Prices Drop
News1 day ago‘Divine Providence’: Johnson Paints Trump as ‘Miraculously’ Spared by God
News1 day agoTrump Vowed to Slash Prices and ‘End Inflation’—Inflation Just Hit Highest Level in Months
News9 hours ago‘Loathsome’: Fox Host’s ‘What Up, My Nazi?’ Rant Slammed by Civil Rights Icon