{"id":654519,"date":"2026-08-19T12:12:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T12:12:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=654519"},"modified":"2026-08-19T12:12:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T12:12:11","slug":"pete-hegseth-goes-to-iowa-and-suddenly-dems-see-really-bad-news-for-republicans-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/?p=654519","title":{"rendered":"Pete Hegseth goes to Iowa \u2014 and suddenly Dems see \u2018really bad news for Republicans\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n

War Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unexpected campaign stop in Iowa this Monday, fueling speculation that he intends to run for president.<\/p>\n

Hegseth appeared in Iowa to \u201cgive remarks, speak to veterans, and campaign\u201d for\u00a0Rep. Zach Nunn, according to CBS News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In one way, it wasn\u2019t a surprise, as numerous top Trump administration officials have \u201cbeen traveling to the battleground state in support of GOP candidates and for official business.\u201d<\/p>\n

But on the other hand, CBS News reported that it\u2019s \u201chighly unusual for a current defense secretary to campaign for candidates.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPrevious secretaries rarely, if ever, attended events for candidates while defense secretary,\u201d according to the network.<\/p>\n

\n

Hegseth, gray shirt sleeves rolled up leaving his tattoos visible, stood under a sombrero-wearing trophy elk as he campaigned with Iowa US Rep. Zach Nunn at JRs Southpork Ranch on Monday. pic.twitter.com\/0at9MHOpE3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) August 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Washington Post<\/a> added that officials familiar with the War Secretary\u2019s thinking \u201cbelieve that he is considering a run for president or some other political office after his time in the Trump administration is over.\u201d<\/p>\n

This news set off a firestorm of criticism and mockery from the left.<\/p>\n

Mike Nellis, a Democrat strategist, mockingly wrote that Hegseth\u2019s potential candidacy is \u201creally bad news for Republicans.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

A Hegseth presidential campaign is going to deliver some hilarious campaign trail moments from Iowa. Really bad news for Republicans.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) August 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Others argued that this isn\u2019t an appropriate time for Hegseth to be campaigning given the ongoing conflict in Iran and the reported food\/water shortages aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrump\u2019s endless conflict with Iran is spiraling out of control,\u201d Rep. Jason Crow tweeted<\/a>. \u201cThere are food & water shortages aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. And our Defense Secretary is campaigning in Iowa. A complete failure of leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is what an un-serious Secretary of Defense does while our military is at war, munitions stockpiles low, logistical supplies to the front lines strained, bases severely damaged, and no end in sight,\u201d failed Kentucky Senate candidate Amy McGrath added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Secretary of Defense campaigning in Iowa in the middle of war that\u2019s not going great is truly bananas,\u201d former Obama adviser turned podcaster Dan Pfeiffer wrote<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Even Jonah Goldberg, a conservative who wrote a treatise on \u201cliberal fascism,\u201d threw shots at Hegseth:<\/p>\n

\n

Totally appropriate behavior during a war for the \u201cSecretary of War.\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/c9EUPRGZ62<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) August 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Hegseth\u2019s campaigning for Nunn wasn\u2019t even his first recent rodeo.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe also stumped for Sen. Darline Graham in the early presidential primary state of South Carolina last week,\u201d according to The Daily Beast<\/a>. \u201cHe also showed up for congressional candidate Ed Gallrein in his successful primary run against incumbent Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie earlier in May.\u201d<\/p>\n

His campaigning on behalf of Nunn was especially important because the Senate map there \u201cunexpectedly turned against Republicans\u201d after Sen. Joni Ernst announced her intention to retire, according to The Independent<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cRepublicans will have a tougher battle ahead of them to keep the seat, drawing more national resources and leaving another opening for Democrats to push towards the majority,\u201d the outlet reported.<\/p>\n

\n

Mr. Hegseth should prioritize the US\u2019s victory in the war against Iran, unite our allies to facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and ensure the well-being of our exceptional and resilient service members and women. https:\/\/t.co\/ufiY6qX2qb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Donna Brazile (@donnabrazile) August 18, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Meanwhile, as Hegseth campaigned in Iowa on Monday, he compared the \u201cwoke,\u201d DEI-centeredmilitary regiment of the Biden administration with the training-focused, hardcore regiment of the Trump administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the Department of War, we do training, not trannies,\u201d he said, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch<\/a>. \u201cIt is a day and night difference. Training, lethality, accountability, discipline, readiness \u2014 the bedrock of what it means to be an American warrior \u2014 is the only focus of our department. Colorblind, gender-neutral, merit-based. That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also defended the Iran War.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a cost to doing very difficult things, to going out and defending your country, and ensuring radical Islamist crazies don\u2019t get a nuclear weapon,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not willing to look my kids in the eye and say, \u2018We had a chance to do something about it, but we didn\u2019t,\u2019 when they were building a conventional arsenal of missiles and drones so large \u2014 they\u2019re trying to use the North Korean approach effectively \u2026 Iran wanted to do the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

War Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unexpected campaign stop in Iowa this Monday, fueling speculation that he intends to run for president. Hegseth appeared in Iowa to \u201cgive remarks, speak to veterans, and campaign\u201d for\u00a0Rep. Zach Nunn, according to CBS News. In one way, it wasn\u2019t a surprise, as numerous top Trump administration officials have… Continue reading Pete Hegseth goes to Iowa \u2014 and suddenly Dems see \u2018really bad news for Republicans\u2019<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":654498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,22,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-654519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-border-security","category-immigration","category-immigration-reform","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=654519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/654498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=654519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=654519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buglecall.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=654519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}