Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., a former Army Ranger who served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is “grossly incompetent” for campaigning in Iowa while U.S. troops face strain from the war with Iran and extended deployments. Crow made the comments in an interview on CNN’s “Erin Burnett OutFront” and posted about the appearance on X.
Crow: “Hired to Play the Department of Defense Secretary on TV”
“Why should we be surprised that a grossly incompetent and corrupt TV personality with zero experience running a major national security agency, let alone our Department of Defense, is failing to do the job?” Crow told Burnett. “There are 100-plus other places around the world where Pete Hegseth needs to be, managing wars, managing conflicts, checking on the health and welfare of our troops instead of campaigning in Iowa. But none of us should be surprised because this man was actually hired to play the Department of Defense secretary on TV and not be one.”
Hegseth Campaigned for Rep. Zach Nunn at Iowa State Fair Fundraiser
Hegseth appeared Aug. 17 at “Operation Top Nunn: Salute to the Troops,” a campaign fundraiser for Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, at JR’s Southpork Ranch on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. “President Trump needs the type of leaders who understand why a $1.5 trillion budget, a one-time generational investment, is what is necessary to ensure that my kids and your kids, that your grandkids and my grandkids live in a free country defended by the most powerful military in the world,” Hegseth told the crowd.
Pentagon Says Hegseth Attended “In His Personal Capacity”
A Pentagon spokesperson said Hegseth attended the event “in his personal capacity,” though he traveled to Iowa aboard a taxpayer-funded military aircraft, which officials said was required given his role. At the event, Hegseth told the crowd, “according to the lawyers, I’m only here in a personal capacity today, as a veteran and a patriotic American.” The Defense Department’s own February 2026 political activity guidance for Senate-confirmed officials states that such officials “are prohibited from participating in any ‘in concert’ activity with a candidate for partisan political office or political party and are therefore prohibited from organizing a political fundraiser or speaking at an event on behalf of a political party.” The guidance does not define a “personal capacity” exception to that prohibition.
Appearance Was Hegseth’s Second Campaign Stop This Year
The Iowa appearance followed a similar trip in May, when Hegseth campaigned in Kentucky for Ed Gallrein, a primary challenger to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., one of Trump’s most vocal Republican critics. Gallrein went on to defeat Massie. Ahead of that event, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement that Hegseth’s 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,” adding that no taxpayer funds would be used to facilitate the visit. CNN and other outlets have nonetheless described it as highly unusual for a sitting defense secretary to campaign for congressional candidates, a departure from the practice of predecessors going back decades.
Hegseth Used Anti-Transgender Slur During the Same Iowa Speech
During the same appearance, Hegseth said, “At the Department of War, we do training, not tr*****s,” according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, which first reported the remark. A Pentagon spokesperson did not distance the department from the comment, telling the Washington Blade, “We have nothing further to add beyond the secretary’s remarks.”
Crow Cited Extended Deployments and Munitions Shortages
Burnett noted that Hegseth’s trip came amid what she described as “tremendous strain” on the military, including a guided-missile destroyer that lost power for four days in the South China Sea, leaving its crew without air conditioning or working toilets, and continued reports of hardship aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, where roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines have faced food shortages and mental health strain during a deployment lasting more than nine months. Crow responded that the fundamental principle of military leadership requires officials to “suffer with your troops” and “never ask them to do anything that you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself” — a standard he said Hegseth was failing to meet.
Crow Says Pentagon Has “Stonewalled” Oversight and Media
Asked whether he was getting accurate information through his committee assignments, Crow said Congress was not receiving it directly from the Pentagon. “We’re absolutely hearing about it, Erin, but we’re not getting it from the Department of Defense because this administration has stonewalled and cut off oversight,” Crow said. “They’ve stonewalled and cut off media. They’ve kicked media and most journalists out of the Department of Defense because they don’t want people to know what’s actually happening.”
Crow Criticizes Pentagon Studio Renovation Amid Deployment Concerns
Crow argued Hegseth’s priorities were misplaced given the state of the fleet. “Here we have Pete Hegseth, who spends his time cutting performative workout videos, who spends his time building a makeup room and TV studio in the Pentagon, instead of being out there checking on the health and welfare of our men and women who, in the case of Abraham Lincoln, are now on station almost twice as long as they’re supposed to be, and they’re suffering the consequences,” Crow said. “It is appalling, and every American should be deeply disturbed by this.”
Crow Cites His Own Role in November Military Video Controversy
Crow separately referenced his own involvement in a November 2025 video, alongside Sen. Mark Kelly and four other lawmakers with military or intelligence backgrounds, that urged troops to refuse illegal orders. “I was part of that group of service members who filmed that video,” Crow said. “That led to multiple attempts to indict us and throw us in prison simply for reiterating what the Uniform Code of Military Justice requires of our service members.”
Nunn’s Democratic Opponent Called Hegseth’s Visit “Disgraceful”
Iowa state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, the Democrat challenging Nunn in November, criticized the visit, saying leaders should be focused on ending the war with Iran and calling it “disgraceful” for Nunn and Hegseth to campaign together during an active conflict, according to Iowa Public Radio.
Crow Serves on Intelligence and Armed Services Committees
Crow, who sits on the House Intelligence and Armed Services committees, has repeatedly criticized the administration’s handling of the Iran war and its transparency with Congress since the conflict began in late February.