Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will leave the Pentagon as U.S. soldiers fight in the Middle East to make an appearance at the traditional starting point for presidential campaigns.
Hegseth has confirmed he will head to Iowa on Saturday, March 14, for a fundraising event for Republican congressman Zach Nunn, despite his role overseeing a new war in the Middle East, which has already cost six American lives.
The former Fox News host’s decision to prioritize an event in Iowa, which is traditionally the first state to take part in the presidential primary, raises questions about his personal political ambitions.
Hegseth was criticized online for choosing to attend the event, which borrowed Top Gun imagery for a planned ‘Salute to the Troops,’ while real service members are risking their lives in the Middle East.
Hegseth and Nunn are both military veterans.
The defense secretary’s forthcoming appearance with Nunn comes as MAGA Sen. Markwayne Mullin awkwardly upgraded his title to “President Hegseth” twice during a Fox News interview on Tuesday.
Mullin was praising Hegseth’s war-fighting credentials after his time in the Army National Guard.
“War is ugly, it smells bad, and if anybody’s ever been there and, been able to smell the war that’s happened around you and taste it and fill it in your nostrils and hear it, it’s something that you’ll never forget, and it’s ugly,” Mullin said before stumbling over his titles twice.
“And fortunately, you have President Hegseth—or I say President Hegseth—Secretary Hegseth, that has got a great relationship with President Trump, and President Hegseth’s been there. He’s done that.”
Nunn says that his event in Iowa is being held in honor of the troops, as well as netting him thousands in campaign contributions.
“This event is all about honoring the brave men and women who have worn the uniform and defending the freedoms they fought for,” Nunn posted on X.
Tickets range from $26 for a basic single ticket to $3,500 for six tickets and an invitation to a VIP reception. There are no details on whether that includes a meet-and-greet with Hegseth.
The fine print on Nunn’s flyer states, however, that Hegseth is a “special guest” at the event and his appearance “is not a solicitation of funds.”
Nunn’s website states that while he is a member of U.S. Air Force Reserve, “Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Air Force or Department of Defense.”
He claims to have raised over $3.5 million in 2025 for his “war chest” ahead of a “showdown” this year as he applies for reelection in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District.
Nunn is one of the names Democrats are targeting in their new focus on challenging bolted-on GOP states.
Last month the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released their “Red to Blue” program, a high-stakes attempt to swing long-held Republican districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.
In 2024, Trump had his best showing in Iowa, carrying the state by 13 points over Kamala Harris.
