President Donald Trump signed an executive order reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug on Thursday.
Medical professionals and health advocates applauded this move as it makes way for more research and the field of cannabis study, where it has found to help with chronic diseases and pain.
However, a photo op of the president signing the executive order is causing a stir, and it’s not because the order now puts the well-known recreational drug that causes a psychedelic effect in the same category as prescription painkillers such as Tylenol with codeine, but over a man pictured with Trump.
One user on Threads pointed out that among the medical professionals and officials who stood behind Trump as he signed a mock-up of a document was a man with a white supremacist tattoo.
“Nothing to see here, just a guy in the whitehouse standing behind trump with a white supremacist tatoo,” wrote Del Potter, an organic chemist and researcher.
View on Threads
The man who posed in a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) uniform appears to have a tattoo on his arm that looks similar to the Valknut or “knot of the slain” symbol, according to the Anti-Defamation League. It is considered a symbol of the Norse god Odin, and has been used by some white supremacists as a racist symbol, according to the ADL. However, it is not exclusive to the group and can be used by non-racists.
The VFW has campaigned for the change in restrictions on cannabis and applauded Trump’s move. According to a news release from the VFW, Tim Jensen, the founder of the Grunt Style Foundation and a VFW Life member, represented both the VFW and Grunt Style at the signing.
“This is a meaningful, veteran-centered action that puts science ahead of stigma,” said VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore in a statement. “For too long, outdated policies have limited research into treatments that could help veterans manage pain, PTSD and other service-connected conditions. Today’s decision acknowledges what veterans and their doctors have been saying for years: we need evidence-based options and the freedom to study them.”
Although Potter seems to have an eagle eye, many who responded to the post found it hard to make out the tattoo’s details.
Former director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund Sherrilyn Ifill has accused Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of being “known to be a white supremacist.”
Ifill pointed to Hegseth’s own writing, which she described as hostile to the advancement of Black officers into military leadership. “His book is basically about his opposition to Black officers rising to the top brass.”
In his recent book, “The War on Warriors,” Hegseth criticizes the military’s focus on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Hegseth has also drawn scrutiny for previously revealing that he was among a dozen National Guard members barred from President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration after being flagged as a potential extremist, a designation he later attributed to a Jerusalem Cross tattoo on his chest.
There’s no proof that Hegseth has white supremacist ties, while another one of Trump’s close allies and top advisers, Stephen Miller, has also faced claims of being a white supremacist also, although there is no concrete proof.
However, there is extensive reporting showing he promoted and circulated material from white nationalist and racist websites.
Leaked emails revealed that Miller shared links from outlets such as VDARE and American Renaissance with a Breitbart editor, sparking outrage from civil rights groups and lawmakers. The Southern Poverty Law Center later labeled him an extremist, arguing his rhetoric and policy work align with white nationalist ideology, even as Miller and his allies deny the characterization.
