Hegseth’s Beard Crusade: A Defense Secretary’s Obsession with Facial Hair
From Quantico to the Barber Chair
The truth about Pete Hegseth s strange – In September, the secretary of the newly renamed Department of War addressed military commanders at Quantico, Virginia, with a clear message about appearance standards. “No more beards, long hair, superficial individual expression,” he declared to the assembled officers. “We’re going to cut our hair, shave our beards and adhere to standards … No more beardos.”
This pronouncement from the current defense secretary, whose cheeks are now as smooth as a newborn’s bottom, represents more than mere grooming preferences. It stems from a personal humiliation that occurred years earlier, when Hegseth was merely a Fox News host rather than a powerful figure capable of ordering military operations.
The 2018 Beard Incident
The year was 2018, and Hegseth had returned from summer vacation sporting a respectable facial growth. Still establishing himself as a television personality rather than wielding defense secretary authority, he hoped his employers would permit him to retain the moustache. He genuinely believed it enhanced his appearance considerably.
Unfortunately, his audience had different opinions. A viewer named Patti contacted Fox & Friends directly, requesting that he remove the “fur” from his face. Another audience member, Mary, expressed disappointment that the previously “all American cute” Hegseth now appeared “awful.” Internet users circulated jokes comparing his new look to a duck hunter’s appearance.
The ultimate embarrassment arrived when his co-hosts laughed openly as a barber removed his vacation beard during a live daytime television segment. Hegseth responded dramatically: “A man without a beard is like a lion without a mane,” a Fox viewer named Michael had written in sympathy. “That’s how I feel!” Hegseth lamented.
Connecting Past Trauma to Present Policy
Viewing this through the lens of psychological analysis, one might conclude that this de-maning experience left permanent marks on Hegseth’s character. Unable to maintain facial hair himself, he appears determined to prevent others from doing so as well.
His current mission targets every stray follicle within the United States military. Yet his enforcement has proven inconsistent. A recent CNN report revealed that the Pentagon chief experienced something resembling a meltdown after boarding a naval vessel and observing numerous sailors with beards. The network quoted Hegseth as leaving the ship “wondering if the Pentagon rank-and-file paid attention to his beard policy and other policy changes he has made to the workforce.”
Trump’s Aesthetic Empire
Perhaps Hegseth should not worry too much about his subordinates’ indifference. Donald Trump undoubtedly appreciates his focus on appearance. The former president has always maintained specific aesthetic requirements for those within his sphere of influence.
Over time, the phenomenon known as “Mar-a-Lago face” has emerged, as MAGA elites fill their lips, eliminate wrinkles, and transform their features into remarkably uniform expressions of loyalty. Within Trumpland, superficial individual expression becomes career-limiting. One must look the part, much like members of a religious order.
Trump, as we all know, has a very particular aesthetic he wants everyone in his orbit to adhere to.
While Trump remains relatively tolerant of beards—though he has encouraged his eldest son to remove his—skin tone matters considerably to him. He has described himself as a “skin man” and allegedly declined Nikki Haley’s appointment as secretary of state due to her complexion. According to The Divider, a 2022 volume by journalists Peter Baker and Susan Glasser, Trump informed then-chief of staff John Kelly that Haley’s rejection “was the blotch marks on her cheeks.” He reportedly added: “She’s got that complexion problem. It doesn’t look good.”
Fascism and Fashion
Trump’s sartorial demands extend beyond facial features. Claims suggest the president expects female employees to “dress like women” and maintains particular preferences regarding men’s neckties. He has even dispatched footwear to subordinates without consulting their measurements. Terrified of making errors, recipients accept these gifts graciously—Marco Rubio has been photographed walking in shoes far too large for his feet.
“The logical outcome of fascism is an aestheticisation of political life,” Walter Benjamin wrote in his famous essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.
Debate over the F-word continues endlessly, yet from red-and-white MAGA hats to the renovated White House ballroom to those identical Mar-a-Lago faces, Trump has transformed governance into a branded entertainment product. Unqualified deputies like Hegseth, more comfortable in television studios than strategic command centers, now follow his lead.
Hegseth may lack the competence to conclude the Iran conflict, but nothing will halt his personal campaign against facial hair. His crusade continues, driven by a man who once wept over a lost beard and now commands an entire military’s grooming standards.
Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
