Alexander Willis
March 20, 2026
March 20, 2026
RAW STORY
Harry Enten discusses polling data on CNN, March 20, 2026. (Screengrab / CNN)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been overwhelmingly rejected by the American public, according to a new series of polls — and it's to such an extent that CNN’s Harry Enten was left astounded.
“He's going over like a lead balloon, not just overall, but especially with independents,” Enten said, reviewing new polling data from Quinnipiac and Yahoo. “Past secretaries of Defense at a time of war, this early on in the war, tend to be very popular, [but] just look at this!”
According to the new polling data, Hegseth’s net popularity currently sits at -15 overall and -28 among independent voters per Quinnipiac. Yahoo’s poll produced even lower figures, with Hegseth netting -18 net popularity, and a staggering -33 among independents.
The polls were conducted around two weeks after the Trump administration launched its war against Iran, a period that historically has seen secretaries of defense's popularity rise. That pattern was not repeated in Hegseth’s case.
“Normally, secretaries of defense are celebrated early in wars,” Enten noted. “At this point, Pete Hegseth is anything but celebrated.”
Looking at historical polling data, Enten noted that former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney enjoyed 62-point net popularity around two weeks into the Gulf War, and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, a 58-point net popularity a few weeks into the Iraq War. Roughly the same time into Trump’s Iran war, Hegseth had a -17 net popularity.
“It's just completely on the other side of the aisle, 17 points below water in the average!” Enten said. “He is on a completely different planet, this war is being received completely differently, at least when looking at the secretary of Defense.”
CNN’s John Berman asked Enten whether Hegseth’s unprecedented unpopularity this early on in the Iran war could be due to President Donald Trump’s own historic unpopularity.
“No!” Enten answered. “No, secretaries of Defense under the first Trump administration were popular, especially 'Mad Dog" [Jim] Mattis!”
Killed airman's dad claims Hegseth lied in war brag about son
Travis Gettys
March 20, 2026
Travis Gettys
March 20, 2026
RAW STORY
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth salutes, as he and President Donald Trump arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, U.S., March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
The father of a slain service member denied Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's account of their private conversation.
The Pentagon chief said Thursday that he had met the day before with the families of six military service members killed in the Iran war, and he said they told him to "honor their sacrifice" and "finish the job." But the father of an Air Force crew member killed in a crash characterized their exchange differently, reported NBC News.
“I can’t speak for the other families," said Charles Simmons. "When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about."
Simmons' 28-year-old son Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, was among six crew members killed when their refueling plane crashed in Iraq last week. He told NBC News his comments to the defense secretary at Dover Air Force Base were a bit more ambivalent than Hegseth claimed.
“I understand there’s a lot of peril that goes into making decisions like this, and I just certainly hope the decisions being made are necessary," Simmons said he told Hegseth.
Simmons, a 60-year-old music teacher from Columbus, Ohio, flatly denied telling Hegseth or President Donald Trump that he wanted them to continue fighting the war.
"No, I didn’t say anything along those lines," he said.
A public official who was within earshot of the president's meetings with family members told NBC News they did not hear anyone tell him to "finish the job."
Simmons conceded that he didn't "have all the data" the president and top military leaders had access to, but he said he had "questions" about the war.
“Who wants war?” he added. “Sometimes it’s a necessity, and I just don’t know what’s going on.”
Simmons did say that his son had expressed support for the operation before volunteering for the ultimately fatal mission.
“He said, ‘Dad, I can’t give you any details, but if civilians knew what we knew, a lot of the criticism [of the war] would cease,” Simmons said.
Simmons did credit both Trump and Hegseth for greeting him with warmth and compassion, which he said contrasted with the president's public persona, and he said their sympathy seemed sincere.
“I was pleasantly surprised because the perception is they [Trump and Hegseth] don’t care, they’re going to do what they want to do,” he said. “I got to see a different side of them up close and personal.”
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth salutes, as he and President Donald Trump arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, U.S., March 18, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
The father of a slain service member denied Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's account of their private conversation.
The Pentagon chief said Thursday that he had met the day before with the families of six military service members killed in the Iran war, and he said they told him to "honor their sacrifice" and "finish the job." But the father of an Air Force crew member killed in a crash characterized their exchange differently, reported NBC News.
“I can’t speak for the other families," said Charles Simmons. "When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about."
Simmons' 28-year-old son Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, was among six crew members killed when their refueling plane crashed in Iraq last week. He told NBC News his comments to the defense secretary at Dover Air Force Base were a bit more ambivalent than Hegseth claimed.
“I understand there’s a lot of peril that goes into making decisions like this, and I just certainly hope the decisions being made are necessary," Simmons said he told Hegseth.
Simmons, a 60-year-old music teacher from Columbus, Ohio, flatly denied telling Hegseth or President Donald Trump that he wanted them to continue fighting the war.
"No, I didn’t say anything along those lines," he said.
A public official who was within earshot of the president's meetings with family members told NBC News they did not hear anyone tell him to "finish the job."
Simmons conceded that he didn't "have all the data" the president and top military leaders had access to, but he said he had "questions" about the war.
“Who wants war?” he added. “Sometimes it’s a necessity, and I just don’t know what’s going on.”
Simmons did say that his son had expressed support for the operation before volunteering for the ultimately fatal mission.
“He said, ‘Dad, I can’t give you any details, but if civilians knew what we knew, a lot of the criticism [of the war] would cease,” Simmons said.
Simmons did credit both Trump and Hegseth for greeting him with warmth and compassion, which he said contrasted with the president's public persona, and he said their sympathy seemed sincere.
“I was pleasantly surprised because the perception is they [Trump and Hegseth] don’t care, they’re going to do what they want to do,” he said. “I got to see a different side of them up close and personal.”
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