So Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, already widely disliked and transparently unqualified, was part of a group that spent Veterans Day being yelled at by a U.S. Army sentinel guarding the sacred Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
That’s quite a sentence.
Some members of Hegseth's entourage, which included senior advisers and his wife, began talking loudly and laughing, prompting the soldier to respond as the round-the-clock sentinels are trained to do, barking: “All visitors will maintain an atmosphere of silence and respect at all times!”
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is sacred. Pete Hegseth is a goon
The site in Arlington National Cemetery is a solemn place, guarded 24/7, 365 days per year. One would think Hegseth would know this, or would at least give a damn.
As video of the incident went viral Nov. 11, Pentagon
spokesman Sean Parnell at least had the decency to release a statement acknowledging the soldier’s response was appropriate: “While commemorating this solemn day, a soldier correctly and respectfully reminded everyone to maintain decorum.”
But “reminded everyone” is doing a lot of work in that statement. Specifically, the soldier reminded THE HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE and his band of chatty associates.
Hegseth owes all veterans an apology. I'm confident they won't get one
Their behavior merits an apology, certainly.
But I think the most important note we can take from this shameful incident is not that Hegseth is a bozo – we already knew that.
Watch the video and look at what was actually happening and what it says about Hegseth and the whole MAGA crowd that was recently repudiated by voters across the country.
On Veterans Day, the group was not quietly taking a photo of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They were taking a photo of THEMSELVES in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They were using a place of profound solemnity as a prop.
I doubt we’ll ever see that photo. But I’ll bet anything it shows Hegseth and Co. grinning like goofs or flashing thumbs-up signs in the situationally inappropriate manner of President Donald Trump, who got in hot water himself once for shooting campaign photos and video at Arlington National Cemetery.
Putting TV hosts and attention-economy addicts in government is bad
This is what happens when you put Fox News hosts and right-wing influencers in charge of the government. You get a “Me first, me first, me always” attitude, one that ignores basic rules of decorum.
You don’t start babbling or cackling while standing next to a tomb meant to stand for all unidentified U.S. soldiers lost in service.
Hegseth should know better. He clearly doesn’t. Because, like so many MAGA figures beating a blessedly hasty path to irrelevancy, he cares only about himself.
Follow USA TODAY columnist Rex Huppke on Bluesky at @rexhuppke.bsky.social and on Facebook at facebook.com/RexIsAJerk.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hegseth treating Tomb of the Unknown Soldier as prop says it all | Opinion
