Hegseth’s own writings foreground anti-Muslim rhetoric and envisage a US military “taking sides” in a coming American civil war, as previously reported in the Guardian. His 2020 book American Crusade depicts Islam as a historic enemy of the west, calls for an “American crusade” against “domestic enemies” as well as the enemies of Israel, and idolises medieval crusaders. Hegseth has “deus vult”, the Latin slogan of Pope Urban II at the launch of the first crusade, tattooed on his arm.

Centrists don't tend to take this kind of fascistic rhetoric seriously for being an actual genuine desire and historically it has led to catastrophic consequences.