‘Deus Vult’. That, famously, is what the large tattoo on Pete Hegseth’s right bicep says. The phrase, which means God Wills It, is a Crusader reference. Critics suggest the words have white supremacist connotations; Hegseth, formerly a major in the Army National Guard, believes it means fulfilling the Almighty’s plan to defeat America’s enemies.

But what does God want? That’s a difficult question for mere mortals to answer. Does He want to see terrorists executed by firing squad on video live-streams for all the world to see? Because that’s what Secretary of War Pete desires.

There’s no doubt that Hegseth enjoys the language of lethality

There’s no doubt that Hegseth enjoys the language of lethality

Nidal Malik Hasan, the Islamist who killed 13 and injured 32 more at Fort Hood in 2009, is due to be executed by a military firing squad on December 3, near the site and at the same hour of his terrible crime. President Trump reportedly approved the killing – which would be the first army firing squad execution in America since 1945 – on October 2, just two days after the botched lethal injection on Christa Pike........

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