Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Impersonates Trump at Kentucky Rally

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave his best impersonation of Donald Trump during a rally for the president’s preferred candidate in Kentucky.

Hegseth arrived in Kentucky to campaign for Ed Gallrein, who is staging a Trump-backed primary challenge against Rep. Thomas Massie, who has recently been a thorn in the president’s side.

“President Trump told me, when he first offered me this job, he said, ‘Pete, you're gonna have to be tough as s***,’” Hegseth said, while mimicking Trump’s voice and mannerisms — even down to the trademark hand gestures seen during rallies.

“’They're gonna come after you,’ and boy, was he right,” he said, continuing his impersonation, to laughter and applause.

“But that's also what Ed represents, a warfighter, a man forged through service,” he added.

Hegseth attempted to skirt around the fact he is a cabinet official and said he did not violate the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from participating in partisan political events.

“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.

The defense secretary arrived in Kentucky’s 4th district to support Gallrein given the fact that Massie has regularly broken with Trump on everything from his “One Big, Beautiful Bill” to passing legislation to force the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

“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 to vote with him when it matters the most,” Hegseth said.

“Thomas Massie has acted like his job is to stand apart from the movement that President Trump leads, instead of strengthening it,” he said. “When President Trump needs backup, Massie wants to debate process when the movement needs unity, especially at the biggest moments.”

Along with criticizing the Trump administration for spending, Massie has repeatedly voted with Democrats on War Powers Act resolutions to rein in the Trump administration during its war in Iran.

Elsewhere in the speech, Hegseth recited his normal grievances about the “war on warriors” during the Biden administration, which he used as the title of his book, and rattled off how he had rolled back a number of policies he said had hindered service people.

“While all this is happening, the people who actually fight America's wars were watching their institution, the one they loved so much, consumed with nonsense, woke trainings, political indoctrination, diversity quotas, climate seminars, pronouns, dudes in dresses, not kidding,” he said. Hegseth also pointed out an attendee in the crowd who had a shirt that said “I identify as ‘American,” to applause.

Massie is just the latest Republican to be targeted by Trump. Over the weekend, Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lost his primary to Rep. Julia Letlow and former Rep. John Fleming largely because of the fact that Cassidy voted to convict Trump for his actions on January 6, 2021.

In addition, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, an ally of Massie’s who signed the petition to release files related to Epstein, had a public falling out with Trump despite being one of his most vocal supporters for years. That led to Greene resigning from Congress at the beginning of this year.

In addition, Trump criticized Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) for campaigning with Massie over the weekend despite her longstanding support of the president.