Images circulating online show Hegseth with a tattoo on the inner bicep of his right arm, written in Arabic as “Kafir,” a term meaning non-believer or infidel.
The tattoo was visible in photos Hegseth posted on Wednesday while visiting a military base in Hawaii, dressed in training gear.
Some social media users have labelled the tattoo Islamophobic, citing Hegseth’s history of inflammatory remarks against Muslims.
According to The New Yorker, he once drunkenly shouted “Kill all Muslims” at a 2015 event for military veterans.
In his 2020 book American Crusade, he described Islam as an “enemy of the West” and promoted distorted views on Muslims.
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