Pete Hegseth’s Department of War backdrop draws comparisons to Nazi imagery on social media
A recent address to the military by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is drawing attention on social media, with users saying the event’s backdrop resembled iconography from the Third Reich. In an October 3 address at the United States Air Force Academy, Hegseth stood before a crowd of cadets in front of a monochromatic backdrop featuring a redesigned logo for the Department of War (DOW)—a secondary…
Recent Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's address to the military at the United States Air Force Academy drew social media attention, with users drawing comparisons to Nazi Germany imagery from the backdrop's monochromatic design and the redesigned Department of War (DOW) logo. The logo, a simplified version of the Department of Defense (DOD) seal, has been likened to Nazi Germany's eagle symbol due to its horizontally positioned wings, unlike other agency seals that feature the bald eagle's wings opened in a V shape.
Despite official guidelines outlining the seal's design, the redesigned logo is missing elements such as the encircling band around the eagle and a wreath of laurel and olives beneath the eagle, and has decreased the number of stars surrounding the eagle from 13 to five. Some users argue that the entire monochromatic setup contributes to the perceived fascist inspiration, while the department and its representatives have pushed back on the Nazi comparisons, stating that the American bald eagle is an icon of the country and used on various seals, including the DOW seal.
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