Pete Hegseth’s ‘disastrous’ typo on his namecard draws online ridicule, ‘What does SS stand for?’ | Hindustan Times
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced mockery due to a significant typo on his namecard during the Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday.
Pete Hegseth, US secretary of defense, with US President Donald Trump, left, and during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (Bloomberg)
Hegseth’s placard incorrectly identified his position in the administration as the “SSecretary of War” at the meeting, where he reiterated his department’s lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean and pledged to place “narcoterrorists at the bottom of the ocean.”
Pete Hegseth’s nameplate typo draws attention
The error garnered attention of critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, who alluded to its unsettling resemblance to the SS, the paramilitary organization of Nazi Germany that was responsible for the genocide of approximately six million Jews during the Holocaust.
“What does the ‘SS’ stand for? Interesting!” Newsom stated on X.
Reacting to the nameplate, Journalist Nick Monroe in a post on X said, “Somebody is SO FIRED for the SSecretary typo.”
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“Legit mistake or an SS reference?” one X user asked.
“Oh no! Not a typo! The horror!” another said, while a third user chimed in. “Quite the Freudian slip.”
Others humorously suggested that the typographical error alluded to Hegseth’s alleged drinking tendencies, calling it “disastrous”.
“’SSECRETARY OF WAR,’” political commentator Keith Olbermann remarked on X. “The extra ‘S’ is for SCOTCH!”
“It’s because he stutters when he’s drunk,” commented Eric McClung.
Pete Hegseth faces accusations of excessive alcohol consumption
The Secretary of Defense encountered accusations of excessive alcohol consumption during his confirmation process, which included assertions that he consumed alcohol at work-related events he managed for various veterans’ advocacy organizations, reported The New Yorker. Several former colleagues from Fox also shared their accounts of his purported drinking behavior with NBC News.
The White House did not provide an immediate response to requests for comments.
Hegseth, aged 45, has faced scrutiny since he was alleged to have authorized a double airstrike on a suspected Venezuelan drug vessel in international waters.
The Washington Post reported that Hegseth issued a command to “kill everybody” after two individuals were observed clinging to the boat.
