Hebron, Kentucky — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth campaigned Monday for Trump-backed congressional candidate Ed Gallrein in Kentucky, prompting criticism from watchdog groups and renewed attention on the increasingly bitter Republican primary battle against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).
The Pentagon said Hegseth attended the rally in a “personal capacity” and did not use taxpayer resources for the appearance. Because Hegseth is a Senate-confirmed presidential appointee, federal ethics rules place fewer restrictions on his political activities compared with career federal employees.
Still, advocacy group Democracy Forward argued the event may violate Pentagon political activity guidelines and raised concerns about the appearance of senior military leadership engaging directly in partisan campaign events.
The Kentucky primary has become one of the most closely watched Republican races in the country, with President Donald Trump aggressively backing Gallrein in an effort to defeat Massie, one of the few congressional Republicans who has openly challenged parts of Trump’s agenda. Massie has criticized the administration on issues including Iran, government spending, and release of the Epstein files.
The race has also become the most expensive House primary in U.S. history, fueled by heavy outside spending from pro-Trump organizations and groups aligned with AIPAC. Massie recently claimed the administration’s growing involvement shows they are becoming “desperate” to remove him from office.
Political analysts view the contest as a major test of Trump’s continued dominance over Republican voters and the party’s willingness to tolerate dissent from conservative incumbents.
Kentucky voters head to the polls Today.
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