Pete Hegseth Draws Backlash for Using Anti-Trans Slur at Iowa Fair
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used an anti-trans slur during a campaign appearance at the Iowa State Fair on Monday, Aug. 17, drawing sharp criticism from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and outlets covering the remarks.
Hegseth made the comment while speaking alongside Republican Rep. Zach Nunn at "Operation Top Nunn: Salute to the Troops," an annual veterans fundraiser held at JR's Southpork Ranch. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, Hegseth used the slur while contrasting military training with transgender service members, referring to the Pentagon by the administration's preferred rebranding as the "Department of War."
What Hegseth Said
Bringing up anti-DEI changes made at the Department of Defense, he said, “At the Department of War, we do training, not t-------,” per a video shared by CNN.
Hegseth went on to describe what he characterized as the department's core priorities, saying, "Training, lethality, accountability, discipline, readiness, the bedrock of what it means to be an American warrior, is the only focus of our department." He added that the military under his leadership was "colorblind, gender-neutral, merit-based."
Nunn, who was also campaigning for his own reelection at the event, made separate remarks defending restrictions on transgender participation in school sports and youth access to gender-affirming care, according to the Des Moines Register.
A Pattern of Similar Remarks
This was not the first time Hegseth has made disparaging comments about transgender people in the context of military policy. The Advocate previously reported that during a 2025 address to special operations personnel, Hegseth made a similarly dismissive remark about transgender service members while describing what he called a return to a "warrior ethos" in the military.
Hegseth has led an effort since taking office to ban transgender individuals from military service, a policy that remains the subject of ongoing legal challenges. Critics of the policy have argued that comments like Monday's slur could complicate the administration's position in court, since judges weighing the ban's legality may consider whether it is motivated by animus rather than legitimate government interest.
Context Around the Event
Monday's appearance had originally been scheduled for March but was postponed after two Iowa National Guard soldiers, Maj. Jeffrey O'Brien and Sgt. Declan J. Coady, were killed in an Iranian strike on a facility in Kuwait earlier that month.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has built a public profile around military issues and conservative culture-war politics since being confirmed as defense secretary, and has previously drawn scrutiny for other actions related to transgender service members, including the removal of a Navy healthcare specialist earlier in his tenure.
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