Hegseth impersonates Trump at rally: ‘Gonna have to be tough as sh*t’

To applause and laughter, the defense secretary recounts the president offering him the job

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did his best Donald Trump at a campaign rally in Kentucky on Monday, imitating the US president’s distinctive speaking style to applause and laughter.

During his speech at the rally a day before Congressional Republican primaries in northern Kentucky, Hegseth recounted the time Trump first offered him the position of defense secretary.

“President Trump told me, when he first offered me this job: ‘Pete, you’re gonna have to be tough as shit.”

Briefly pausing to apologize for swearing, he went on to laughs and cheers: “‘They’re gonna come after ya.'”

Returning to his own voice, he said: “And boy was he right.”

Hegseth was speaking in support of Ed Gallrein, who was handpicked by Trump to take on Thomas Massie in the House primary.

The matchup between Massie, who has been in office since 2012, and a first-time candidate running on his loyalty to Trump, has become the most expensive US House primary in history.

Hegseth was barely confirmed as US defense secretary last year in a dramatic tie-breaking vote in the Senate.

A former Fox News host and combat veteran who vowed to bring a “warrior culture” to the Pentagon, Hegseth faced questions about his qualifications to lead amid allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.

Rarely has a Cabinet nominee faced such wide-ranging concerns about his experience and behavior as Hegseth, particularly for such a high-profile role at the top of the US military.

US Vice President JD Vance needed to break the 50-50 tie, which is highly unusual for cabinet nominees, and particularly defense secretaries, who typically win wider bipartisan support.