The problem(s) with Hegseth and other Cabinet members hitting the campaign trail

A few months ago, as part of Donald Trump’s relentless crusade against Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took the extraordinary step of hitting the campaign trail, appearing in Kentucky to condemn the GOP congressman ahead of his primary race.

This week, it happened again. The New York Times reported:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigned on Monday in Iowa for Representative Zach Nunn, stepping into the political arena in a way previous leaders of the Pentagon have avoided.

Mr. Hegseth appeared at a veteran-focused fund-raising event at the Iowa State Fair alongside Mr. Nunn, who is one of the most vulnerable House Republicans in this year’s midterms. He touted Mr. Nunn’s candidacy and was sharply critical of previous Democratic administrations.

There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s consider this from a handful of different angles.

This isn’t what defense secretaries are supposed to do: When the Pentagon hit the campaign trail in March, a separate Times report explained, “The campaign appearance was an extraordinary breach of military decorum — even for Mr. Hegseth, who has stretched the boundaries of partisan politics in his job leading the Pentagon. Previous defense secretaries and other Pentagon officials typically stay far away from such activities to avoid even the appearance of partisanship.”

Hegseth, a relentless partisan, is blazing a new trail that does lasting harm to his office, its credibility and the Defense Department.

Doesn’t Hegseth have other things to do right now? If the defense secretary invested less time in the midterms and more time in the failing war with Iran and the service members aboard the USS Lincoln, the nation would be far better off.

The broader problem isn’t limited to Hegseth: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has spent recent months making appearances with vulnerable congressional Republicans; Attorney General Todd Blanche spoke at a political event late last week; Hegseth has already campaigned in Kentucky and Iowa; and there are related plans for other Cabinet secretaries as Election Day approaches.

There’s a federal ethics law called the Hatch Act, which, as the administration well knows, prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activities. In 2026, however, the White House increasingly sees Cabinet secretaries as little more than pieces on an electoral chess board to be moved around to the benefit of GOP candidates.

Hegseth’s disclaimer was irrelevant: At his Iowa event, the defense secretary paused to remind attendees that he was there in his “personal capacity.” The trouble is that that phrasing does not automatically immunize a Cabinet secretary.

Around this time a decade ago, for example, then-Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro did an interview in which he said, in reference to the 2016 Democratic presidential primaries, “Now, taking off my HUD hat for a second and just speaking individually, it is very clear that Hillary Clinton is the most experienced, thoughtful and prepared candidate for president that we have this year.”

The fact that he said he was “speaking individually” didn’t matter: The Office of Special Counsel determined that Castro ran afoul of the Hatch Act.

Republicans sure do seem worried about Iowa: Trump easily carried Iowa in each of last three election cycles; Iowa has a Republican governor and GOP-led state Legislature; and an all-Republican congressional delegation. And yet, with 11 weeks remaining in the election cycle, the White House and its allies are scrambling in apparent desperation to prevent Democratic gains in the Hawkeye State.

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