Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth unveiled an impression of Donald Trump during a campaign speech to help defeat presidential enemy Thomas Massie.
Hegseth was on the stump for former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein when he unveiled a surprisingly accurate imitation of his boss during the interview process to become defense secretary.
'President Trump told me when he first offered me this job, he said, "You are going to have to be tough as s***." Sorry,' he said, with a chuckle.
The secretary then did a couple more lines as Trump while the Kentucky crowd applauded and cheered.
'They're gonna come after ya! And boy was he right,' Hegseth said, noting his experiences in office.
Hegseth on Monday railed against Massie, stepping away from the Iran war and into a Kentucky congressional election that's testing the president's political clout.
He traveled to Kentucky to deliver his remarks, which were designed to undermine Massie on the eve of his primary in the state's 4th Congressional District.
Hegseth referenced Trump over and over as he praised Massie's rival, Gallrein.
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth unveiled an impression of Donald Trump out of nowhere during a campaign speech to try and defeat presidential enemy Thomas Massie
Hegseth on Monday railed against Massie (pictured), stepping away from the Iran war and into a Kentucky congressional election that's testing the president's political clout
'President Trump needs reinforcements, and that's what war fighters do. They stand behind leaders and have their back,' Hegseth said.
'Too often, Thomas Massie has acted like his job is to stand apart from the movement that President Trump leads, instead of strengthening it. When President Trump needs backup, Massie wants to debate process.'
'At some point, being against everything becomes an excuse for accomplishing nothing. At some point, constant obstruction is not leadership. It's just commentary. It's obstruction. President Trump does not need more people in Washington who are trying to make a point,' Hegseth said.
'When conservatives are fighting the most radical left in American history, too often Massie’s instinct is to throw elbows at fellow Republicans instead of the people who are destroying our country or want to destroy our country.'
The secretary said he was speaking 'as a private citizen' — and not as a member of Trump's Cabinet.
Earlier Monday, Massie hit with scathing allegations by an alleged ex-lover in the final hours of a Republican primary campaign for the ages.
Cynthia West, who allegedly dated Massie for five months shortly after the death of his first wife, Rhonda, unleashed on the incumbent representative in a jaw-dropping interview with conservative provocateur Laura Loomer.
Speaking with Loomer in an interview published on Monday, West alleged that Massie has a burner phone that he called a 'boner phone', and even had an 'intimate relationship' with one of his Capitol Hill colleagues.
Hegseth was on the stump for former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein when he unveiled a surprisingly accurate mimic of his boss during the interview process to become defense secretary
The secretary then did several lines as Trump while the Kentucky crowd applauded and cheered
West told Loomer that the Kentucky Republican bragged about hooking up with Colorado Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert because she was the 'hottest woman in Congress.'
Neither Boebert nor Massie's offices responded to the Daily Mail's request for comment and neither had addressed the bombshell claim as of Monday night. Massie and Boebert were both single at the time of the accusation.
The Colorado Republican campaigned for Massie ahead of his Tuesday primary face-off with Trump-backed challenger Ed Gallrein this past weekend. The Massie-Gallrein race will be the latest and arguably most powerful test of the President's grip on the Republican Party.
Massie has attempted to hold onto his seat by showcasing Gallrein's past animosity toward Trump. He's presented voter registration cards he claims show Gallrein quit the GOP after Trump's initial presidential win in 2016.
'I call them voter transition cards. He transitioned out of the party and stayed out for five years,' Massie said at a GOP event back in March.
A Massie TV ad is also blasting Gallrein as 'woke Eddie,' who turned his back on the Trump movement.
Gallrein's campaign did not dispute the validity of Massie's ad in a previous statement to the Daily Mail.
The most recent polling of the race shows Gallrein pulling ahead of Massie. A GrayHouse survey of likely Republican voters found Gallrein at 52 percent to Massie's 44 percent. The margin of error was 4.7 percent.
Trump hopes to add Massie to his growing list of primary scalps. He already claimed wins against Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and a group of Indiana state senators who were ousted on May 5 after opposing his preferred plan to redraw the state's congressional districts.