Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a transphobic slur while speaking at the Iowa State Fair Monday, where he appeared in support of Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, who is running for a third term in Congress.
The appearance for Representative Zach Nunn was another departure from previous norms for the defense secretary, whose predecessors kept a greater distance from politics.
Iowa congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, an ordained Lutheran minister running to flip a competitive House seat, told a podcast interviewer in 2023 that churches and religious leaders stand in the way of domestic violence victims getting help, remarks now surfacing as Republicans build a case that her record puts her far outside the Iowa […] The post Iowa Democrat and Lutheran minister called churches a 'barrier' to domestic abuse victims in 2023 podcast appeared first on American Almanac .
Iowa congressional candidate Sarah Trone Garriott, an ordained Lutheran minister running to flip a competitive House seat, told a podcast interviewer in 2023 that churches and religious leaders stand in the way of domestic violence victims getting help, remarks now surfacing as Republicans build a case that her record puts her far outside the Iowa mainstream. Trone Garriott, a state senator challenging Republican Rep. Zach Nunn in Iowa's Third Congressional District, made the comments during a January 31, 2023, appearance on the Uncommon Wealth podcast. She told the host she had once considered becoming a lawyer to help victims of domestic abuse, and in that context offered a broad indictment of organized religion's role in keeping women…Open
Vance made his Iowa debut in Des Moines, where he touted Iowa GOP Rep. Zach Nunn, who is facing a tough re-election campaign in the state's 3rd District. Democrats are hoping to flip Nunn's seat in November, along with two others.
The state will play a key role if the vice president decides to run for president in 2028, and other potential GOP candidates have visited in recent months.
Vice President JD Vance speaks in Des Moines, Iowa, alongside Rep. Zach Nunn as Republicans rally ahead of the 2026 midterms.
'I'm kind of all things'
Vice President Vance will head to Iowa later this month to host a pair of events ahead of the fall midterms, Axios has learned. Why it matters: Vance's April 30 appearances will be aimed at helping Republicans in this fall's elections. They'll also be part of his first visit to an early primary state ahead of a widely expected bid for president in 2028. Zoom out: Vance will appear with GOP Rep. Zach Nunn, who's in a swing district in southwestern Iowa and faces a stiff challenge from Democratic state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott. - Vance will also headline an event with Turning Point USA at Iowa State University in Ames. - Vance was friends with TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk, and has appeared at several of the organization's events since Kirk…
Data: Dave's Redistricting Atlas, Cook Political Report, AP. (Virginia is in the process of redistricting.) Table: Axios Visuals Democrats plan to invest in districts that went for President Trump in 2024 by as many as 18 percentage points in their efforts to retake the House by a decisive margin in November. Why it matters: Partisan gerrymandering has resulted in a historically small number of highly competitive House seats — but that does not square with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ' (D-N.Y.) growing ambitions. - Emboldened by strong Democratic performances in recent special elections, Jeffries said at a press conference last week that his party is eyeing an increasing number of seats as potential pickups. - "The…