On August 17, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigned with Representative Zach Nunn for a fundraiser campaign titled, “Operation Top Nunn: Salute to the Troops.” The event was originally to be held sometime in March, but was cancelled due to the deaths of two Iowa service members during the Iran War.
Hegseth very likely violated the Hatch Act, as he made no distinction between his role of Defense Secretary from his support of Nunn. During the event, he promoted his culture war within the Defense Department, decrying diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. He also promoted Trump’s $1.5 trillion budget for his department.
This is not the first time Hegseth has campaigned with Republican politicians as Defense Secretary. He campaigned with Ed Gallrein against Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican that rejected Trump regarding the Epstein files and Iran War. As stated in the previous file, “Hegseth’s overt preference and support for one candidate over another violates longstanding Defense Department rules and norms regarding political neutrality.”
This overtly political situation occurred within close proximity to a report, which found that Hegseth expressed interest in running for President to his friends and colleagues. His wife, Jennifer, shares this interest. She has been more involved in Pentagon affairs than other Defense Secretary wives.
