It's not often that a Cabinet member becomes a focus in national political campaigns, but Democrats across the country are making the case that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a good reason to vote for them. The candidates are blaming him for the Iran war and rising gas prices while mocking his workouts, the New York Times reports. The message isn't subtle, and it's growing louder as the midterms near: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries promised a rally last week that if Democrats take control of the House, "We're going to run Pete Hegseth out of town."
After Hegseth sailed to port in San Diego with the sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln, a Democratic House candidate called for an independent investigation into the carrier's almost 11-month deployment. "Secretary Hegseth owes their families answers about the deplorable conditions on board, not a photo op," Marni von Wilpert said. A Colorado candidate for the House got more personal. Manny Rutinel posted video of Hegseth, sweaty and appearing to have a hard time lifting weights with troops. "This man is letting Trump raise your gas prices," onscreen type reads. "I'm going to put a stop to it." The ad then cuts to Rutinel doing pull-ups and appearing to lift heavier weights during his workout.
The defense secretary suffered a setback on Thursday when President Trump vetoed his plan to livestream an execution by firing squad. But Trump has shown no indication he intends to fire Hegseth. The Times points out that Democrats similarly blamed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for the management of the war in Iraq during the 2006 midterms campaign. President George W. Bush defended Rumsfeld until the day after Democrats won big in the election, when he announced there would be a new defense secretary.
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