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!”
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