Trump cabinet latest: Hegseth and Gaetz’s nominations under fire over sexual misconduct allegations

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There is yet more controversy surrounding Trump’s defense secretary pick.

Concerns have been raised over a tattoo belonging to Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host nominated by Trump to lead the Department of Defense – with opinion divided over whether it is a “Christian motto” or a white nationalist dog whistle.

Hegseth, an Army National Guard veteran, has the words “Deus Vult” tattooed on his bicep, which has been associated with white supremacist groups. “Deus Vult” is a Latin phrase meaning “God Wills It,” and was a rallying cry for Christian crusaders in the Middle Ages.

The Associated Press reported that the tattoo previously resulted in Hegseth being flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member. However, the AP report has led to outrage on both sides, including from Vice President-elect JD Vance.

The President-elect has released a new advert on X today to those who voted for him.

“My client testified to the House Ethics Committee that she witnessed Matt Gaetz having sex with a minor,” Leppard told the outlet.

Gaetz denies any wrongdoing.

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Sir Alex Younger, former chief of MI6 from 2014 to 2020, believes both the incoming president and his Russian counterpart overestimate their ability to influence the other.

“I think Trump overestimates his ability to force Putin into a land swap where Putin clearly wants a lot more, when he feels that he is winning and when he has to show [the Russian people] a lot more if he is to justify the appalling sacrifice he’s imposed,” he says. “Trump is underestimating the challenge and overestimating his influence.”

Trump’s first wave of cabinet nominations and White House appointments, within the week after he won the 2024 presidential election, have stunned members of Congress, veterans and active-duty service members, public health advocates and democratic advocates, who have warned for years that he is building a government of loyalists to fulfill his campaign-trail promises to deliver “retribution” by destroying the “deep state.”

And he appears to be repeating one of Bush’s most infamous mistakes.