Scott Jennings taunts Dems with triggering front cover of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral program

BS BRIEF:

CNN commentator Scott Jennings shared the front cover of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral program, which prominently displayed the Jerusalem Cross, and joked: “Hold on to your hats when the Dems see the front page.” The symbol closely resembles the Christian cross tattooed on Pete Hegseth’s chest.
The cross is a centuries-old Christian emblem consisting of one large cross surrounded by four smaller crosses. The Episcopal Church identifies it simply as a form of the Christian cross, while common interpretations connect the five crosses to Christ’s wounds or the Gospel spreading to the four corners of the earth.
Hegseth’s tattoo previously helped trigger accusations that he could represent an extremist threat. Seeing the same historic symbol used by Washington National Cathedral at a nationally televised funeral underscores how context—and the identity of the person displaying it—can determine whether a Christian emblem is treated as sacred or sinister.

SCOTT JENNINGS SPOTS THE MEDIA’S JERUSALEM CROSS PROBLEM AT GRAHAM FUNERAL

There it was, printed boldly on the front of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral program at Washington National Cathedral: one large cross surrounded by four smaller crosses.

The Jerusalem Cross.

Or, as certain members of the political and media class might call it when Pete Hegseth has one tattooed on his chest: evidence for the prosecution.

CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings immediately recognized the irony and posted an image of the program on X.

“Hold on to your hats when the Dems see the front page of the Graham funeral program today.”

The joke landed because the symbol had already been dragged through Washington’s ideological car wash during Hegseth’s rise to lead the Pentagon.

On Graham’s memorial program, it was a solemn Christian image used by the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. On Hegseth, critics had treated the same basic emblem as one more reason to question whether the Army veteran might harbor extremist sympathies.

Same cross. Different chest. Completely different panic level.

The official 20-page program published by Washington National Cathedral confirms that Graham’s funeral was held Tuesday afternoon and describes the service as being held “in celebration of and in thanksgiving for” his life. Its cover unmistakably features the five-cross design.

The Jerusalem Cross is not some mysterious insignia invented in a basement chat room last Tuesday. It consists of a central cross with four smaller crosses placed in each quadrant. The Episcopal Church’s official glossary identifies it as one of the established forms of the Christian cross. Christian churches have offered several related interpretations. One holds that the large cross represents Christ and the four smaller crosses represent the four Gospels spreading outward from Jerusalem. Another connects the five crosses to the five wounds Christ suffered during the Crucifixion.

The symbol also has undeniable historical links to the medieval Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. That history has led some modern critics to view it more warily, particularly when it appears alongside other Crusader imagery or political rhetoric. Some extremist groups have also appropriated it, just as extremists have borrowed countless religious and national symbols they did not create.

But appropriation does not erase ordinary religious use. A swastika displayed by a Nazi means one thing. A cross displayed by a cathedral means another. Context is not a clever loophole. Context is how grown adults understand symbols.

Hegseth’s tattoo controversy stretches back to the security preparations for President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration.

A fellow National Guard member raised concerns about Hegseth’s tattoos, including the phrase “Deus Vult” and an image of the Jerusalem Cross. The complaint described the material as potentially disturbing and raised the possibility of an “insider threat.” Hegseth later said he was pulled from inauguration duty because of the scrutiny.

During Hegseth’s 2025 confirmation hearing, Sen. Kevin Cramer asked him directly about the Jerusalem Cross controversy. PBS described the symbol as one that “has been associated with extremist groups,” reflecting the framing that followed Hegseth throughout his nomination.

That phrasing was technically defensible but often incomplete. A symbol may be used by extremists without becoming inherently extremist. American flags have been carried by violent criminals. Nobody demands that every courthouse pull one down. Christian crosses have been misused for centuries. That does not transform every Christian wearing one into a threat requiring an intelligence briefing.

One important distinction, Jennings was not documenting an actual wave of Democratic outrage over Graham’s funeral program. He was anticipating one.

His post mocked the possibility that the same commentators who found Hegseth’s tattoo alarming might have difficulty explaining why a nearly identical symbol was now featured on the cover of a funeral program issued by Washington National Cathedral. Twitchy amplified the post and gathered reactions accusing critics of applying a political double standard.

Among the reactions, users pointed to similar Jerusalem Cross imagery connected with President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral and emphasized the emblem’s use within Episcopal Christianity. Others criticized Jennings for turning a funeral into a political point.

That criticism is not frivolous. Graham’s funeral was, first and foremost, a national memorial for a senator who served more than three decades in Congress and 33 years in the Air Force. President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, lawmakers and foreign leaders gathered in Washington to honor him.

Graham’s flag-draped casket was honored at the U.S. Capitol before the funeral at Washington National Cathedral. Trump delivered a tribute, while Sean Hannity and Graham’s niece, Emillie Boggs Roberts, were also listed as speakers in the official program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended, reflecting Graham’s prominent role in foreign policy and his long-running support for both countries. Graham died July 11 at age 71 following a sudden heart condition.

The service included “How Great Thou Art,” “Amazing Grace,” Scripture readings and the Episcopal burial rite.

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