Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s blunders and bluster are about to become a central argument against Republican lawmakers in the upcoming midterm election, according to a new report.
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Democratic candidates and campaign strategists consider the controversial Donald Trump Cabinet member to be a target-rich subject when it comes to putting their GOP opponents back on their heels, Politico reported Thursday.
“The more Hegseth puts himself out there, the more he does the work for us,” said Matt Corridoni, a Democratic strategist told Politico.
“Normally the Secretary of Defense is not such a politically focused position, but he has pushed it into hyper politics. So you’re going to see candidates using him as a foil more and more.”
Hegseth’s television personality has made him instantly recognizable, and his record of controversy provides endless ammunition for Democrats in key districts, the report states.
“Campaign planners said they expect candidates to call out Hegseth even more as the war against Iran continues,” the report stated. “Trump has repeatedly said the Defense secretary was among the first and most vocal proponents of the fight, which has now lasted more than five months and led to a spike in global energy prices.”
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Cait Conley, an Iraq war veteran running for New York’s 17th Congressional District, has been particularly brutal, calling Hegseth unqualified and incompetent while quipping that he knows “more about botox than bombs.”
Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot running for New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, has made Hegseth’s removal a centerpiece of her campaign. She’s called for his resignation at every stop, framing him as a threat to military integrity.
“Pete Hegseth is a disgrace to the office that he holds, and the reason why I believe he is deeply dangerous is partially because of the polarization,” Bennett said.
“We have an obligation to call those things out when we see it, and to make sure that we are standing up for our service members who do not have the ability to speak out about these things.”
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