Those who don’t support Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump, or MAGA as a whole probably don’t expect much from those in Trump’s orbit. But when Secretary of Defense (or Secretary of War, depending on who you ask) Pete Hegseth appeared at the Iowa State Fair and gave an impassioned speech about the military, he dropped a transphobic slur that still shocked people.
Those in attendance during his rousing speech in support of the reelection of Rep. Zach Nunn might agree with what Hegseth said. In the clip posted on TikTok, there are even some cheers from off-camera attendees. However, the now viral moment has people blasting the Pentagon official for his choice of words and for his lack of accountability afterwards.
Pete Hegseth’s slur was unexpected, but elicited cheers from the crowd.
@cnn 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.
♬ original sound – CNN
When Hegseth went to the Iowa State Fair to speak out in support of Nunn, he also went into a tirade about the United States military and how he could use more men like Nunn. And OK, that’s totally fine. That’s expected. What was not expected, though, was Hegseth’s derogatory and offensive slur for transgender individuals.
“At the Department of War, we do training, not tr—ies,” he said. He even paused for a couple of seconds, either for cheer or applause, or because he went off-script. But then, he kept going, and seemed almost roused by the few cheers at his choice of words. “It is a day and night difference. Training, lethality, accountability, discipline, readiness — the bedrock of what it means to be an American warrior — is the only focus of our department. Colorblind, gender-neutral, merit-based. That’s it. We want the best! And anybody with half a brain knows that’s common sense! I guess common sense isn’t all that common in Washington.”
Someone commented on the TikTok that CNN posted with the clip from the speech to ask what Hegseth’s “obsession” is with transgender individuals.
“Saying all this But losing a war to Iran is crazy,” another person wrote.
Another added, “He’s gonna blame trans people for losing the Iran war isn’t he?”
He originally appeared in Iowa to share support for Rep. Zach Nunn.
The reason Hegseth was even at the Iowa State Fair was to show support for Republican Congressman Nunn. But with Hegseth seemingly busy with his own role in politics, he faced criticism for spending time gassing up a political candidate and potentially neglecting his own work as the secretary of defense.
A former GOP strategist spoke to CNN about Hegseth campaigning for Nunn. He agreed that Hegseth’s main focus should be elsewhere and, historically, individuals in Hegseth’s position are not seen campaigning for any politician for any office while they are serving as secretary of defense.
He continues to speak out against DEI.
Imagine the amount of alcohol that Pete Hegseth, Jeanine Pirro, and Kash Patel have consumed on your tax dollars. https://t.co/Gh3F7aWn33
— Riff2112 (@TheFaxMatter) August 20, 2026
In 2025, the U.S. Department of War (which is still referred to as the Department of Defense for many) reported that Hegseth’s efforts to get rid of DEI, or diversity, equity, and inclusion in the U.S. military has begun to take effect. During his Iowa State Fair speech, Hegseth once again referenced getting rid of DEI and emphasized its importance to him.
“As we reestablish deterrence because Obama and Biden wouldn’t, we also rebuild our military,” he said. “And at the same time, we’re restoring the warrior ethos inside our department because that matters. We need guys like this man right here having our back in Congress as we get rid of DEI at the Defense Department.”
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