Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has taken a beating online after a sentinel reprimanded his posse for breaching decorum at Arlington National Cemetery’s most sacred site on Veterans Day.
Hegseth, his wife, and his senior advisers visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the holiday and, while posing together for photos, were heard laughing. That prompted an Army sentinel to sternly remind them their behavior was inappropriate for the setting.
“All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times,” the soldier called out.
Later that afternoon, Hegseth, 46, posted a photo of him and his wife, Jennifer Rauchet, commemorating the holiday and their visit.
“Happy Veterans Day—to our best Americans,” his post read. “The Hegseth’s (sic) are honored to celebrate our veterans this morning at Arlington with @POTUS, @VP & @SecVetAffairs. Thank God for our warriors, past and present.”
But in the comments, most attention focused on the head-scratching actions of his group. In addition to being called a “f—ing clown,” an “a—–e,” and a “disrespectful piece of s–t,” Hegseth was accused of having “metaphorically p—-d on the tomb of the unknown soldier today.”
Reactions to Pete Hegseth’s disrespectful behavior at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Reactions to Pete Hegseth’s disrespectful behavior at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Reactions to Pete Hegseth’s disrespectful behavior at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Several more called Hegseth a “disgrace” and an “embarrassment,” while another added: “This veteran thinks you should be impeached.”
Others noted that the Defense secretary, who earned degrees from Harvard and Princeton, did not follow a simple, grade school-level rule about apostrophes when he wrote “Hegseth’s” instead of “Hegseths.”
Hegseth was even called out for misusing an apostrophe with his own name.
“Harvard guy doesn’t understand plural vs possessive of his own name,” one X user wrote.
Another added: “Putting an apostrophe there makes it a contraction of the form of the verb ‘to be.’ They cover this in 3rd grade or so. Didn’t you go to Princeton and Harvard? Gentleman’s Cs?”
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
After Hegseth and company were reprimanded, Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the soldier.
“The Secretary and the entire Department have always honored—and will always honor—the sacrifices our military men and women have made to keep America safe,” he told the Daily Beast. “While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
Veterans promptly called out Hegseth’s error.
Moe Davis, a retired Air Force colonel, called Hegseth a “daily dishonor and disgrace” in a post on X, adding in a follow-up: “Raise your hand if you managed to visit Arlington National Cemetery without getting reprimanded by a member of The Old Guard for disrespectful conduct.”
The post Pentagon Pete Utterly Eviscerated After Veterans Day Gaffe appeared first on The Daily Beast.
