Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s desk placard at the Dec. 2 White House Cabinet meeting displayed an extra initial, reading “Ssecretary of War.”
- Lead Stories and Snopes verified the error in the White House’s full meeting video and in close-up images from AFP/Getty photojournalists.
- The image circulated widely on social media, drawing ridicule and references to the Nazi SS, including a jab from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
- Other Cabinet nameplates showed correct spellings, and outlets reported no immediate explanation from the White House.
- Coverage tied the viral moment to renewed scrutiny of Hegseth’s recent defense of a follow-up strike on an alleged drug boat and to Trump’s rebranding push to call the Pentagon the Department of War, a change that would still require Congress.