Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday campaigned for a Republican congressional challenger endorsed by President Donald Trump in an extremely unusual move that broke with the military’s longstanding tradition of political neutrality.
Taking the stage at a rally for Ed Gallrein, Hegseth railed against Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican who has publicly feuded with Trump and is facing Gallrein in a contentious primary for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District.
Hegseth’s support has sparked online condemnation as a violation of the Hatch Act, which bans federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty. Pentagon officials and military leaders have historically avoided overtly partisan political activity to align with the armed forces’ nonpartisan identity.
Hegseth said he attended the event after awarding Purple Heart medals to soldiers but gave a perfunctory statement at the start of his speech in an attempt to distance himself from role as Defense Secretary.
“I have to say upfront, for the lawyers, that I’m here in my personal capacity as a private citizen, a fellow American, and a fellow combat veteran here to support Navy Seal Ed Gallrein,” he said.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back against accusations that Hegseth’s participation violated the neutrality of his role, arguing in a statement that the secretary’s attendance was “in his personal capacity,” and would not use taxpayer money.
“His participation has been thoroughly vetted and cleared by lawyers, including the Department of War Office of General Counsel, and does not violate the Hatch Act or any other applicable federal statute,” Parnell said.
Hegseth’s appearance came as the U.S. remains heavily embroiled in the war with Iran, a conflict that Massie has denounced. Massie has also broken with Trump on other issues, criticizing U.S. aid to Israel and spearheading legislation to release the Epstein files.
In his roughly 12-minute speech, Hegseth repeatedly chastised Massie, saying, “President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point, especially from his own party. He needs people willing to help him win and vote with him when it matters most.”
The secretary also railed against “woke trainings, political indoctrination, diversity quotas, climate seminars, pronouns [and] dudes in dresses,” before lauding Gallrein’s military service.
According to Gallrein’s website, he served for 30 years and deployed repeatedly as a Navy SEAL officer.
Eve Sampson is a reporter and former Army officer. She has covered conflict across the world, writing for The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Associated Press.