Pete Hegseth’s Air Force Academy speech backdrop draws scrutiny: ‘Accidental Nazi is just not a thing’

A reimagined “Department of War” logo displayed behind Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at a recent speech drew immediate comparisons to Third Reich iconography.

Speaking to Air Force Academy cadets on Saturday, Hegseth stood in front of a monochrome logo for his agency that differs from the designs in the Defense Department’s official branding guide. The backdrop features a stylized eagle that critics compared to the straight-edged Reichsadler used by Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler.

“Accidental Nazi is just not a thing,” art critic Seema R. said on Instagram, where she discussed the significance of the logo changes.

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The backdrop departs from the Defense Department’s established branding, which used the Department of War name under Hegseth’s leadership. The official brand guide features a simplified line rendering of the Pentagon building at the top of the department’s website.

The department also uses a version of its historic seal on social media. The design dates to 1947, when it was approved for the National Military Establishment, the Defense Department’s predecessor. It shows an eagle carrying three arrows to represent the Air Force, Army, and Navy, with rays and stars above it representing glory and olive and laurel leaves below it representing peace and honor in combat.

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The simplified eagle behind Hegseth resembles the eagle in the historic seal but dispenses with the laurel and olive branches entirely. Instead of 13 stars and radiating rays, the backdrop has just five stars and no rays.

The eagle’s wings drew particular scrutiny online. Rather than the feathered, naturalistic look of the historic seal, the upper edges of the eagle’s wings form an almost straight line divided into three sections. Even blue-and-black monochrome versions of the seal in the brand guide retain detailed feathers.

“The official DOW seal should in no way be edited or presented in any way except how it is displayed above. The size of the seal is the only variable that can be changed, while adhering to the minimum sizing requirements outlined above,” the branding guide states.

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The backdrop’s eagle differs in several respects. While the bald eagle's head looks much like the one in the department’s seal, its rigid wings prompted comparisons to eagle imagery used by the Nazi regime.

The Nazi-era Reichsadler depicts an eagle clutching a wreath surrounding a swastika. Similar eagle imagery appeared behind Hitler during speeches.

Liberal influencer Brian Krassenstein also compared Hegseth’s gestures to Hitler’s, highlighting the similar imagery behind them.

"It’s almost as if they’re going out of their way to make it seem like they are Nazis," Krassenstein wrote on X.