Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is pushing back on a report that he has been privately discussing a potential 2028 presidential run, calling the claim “100% false” and accusing NBC News of ignoring his denial.
“100% false. We told NBC that, but they just lie w/ anonymous ‘sources,’” Hegseth wrote on X Friday. The response came hours after <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2028-election/pete-hegseth-talking-possible-run-president-2028-sources-say-rcna594891">NBC News</a> reported that Hegseth had discussed the possibility of running for president with his wife, friends and colleagues in conversations over the past several months.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell chimed in as well, telling <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/pete-hegseth-denies-report-hes-considering-a-2028-run-what-polls-show-12383032">Newsweek</a>, “Secretary Hegseth is not running for President, and his main priority is leading the War Department. All other speculation is foolish.” The NBC report nevertheless fueled speculation about Hegseth’s political future, particularly after he <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pete-hegseth-iowa-campaign-zach-nunn/">traveled to Iowa</a> earlier this month to campaign for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA).
Hegseth attended the Iowa State Fair in what the Pentagon described as a personal-capacity trip to support Nunn, who is seeking reelection. The appearance drew attention because Iowa traditionally plays a prominent role in the Republican presidential nominating process. NBC&#8217;s Courtney Kube described the fair as &#8220;a place where candidates go and showcase themselves in advance of a big run,&#8221; and Hegseth was received &#8220;like a rock star&#8221; at both the Iowa and Kentucky events.
The Iowa appearance was Hegseth’s second campaign-related trip this year. He previously traveled to Kentucky in May to campaign for Ed Gallrein, the Trump-endorsed primary challenger who went on to defeat Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY).
Those appearances, combined with Hegseth’s national profile as a former Fox News host and his position as one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent Cabinet officials, have made him a natural subject of 2028 speculation. But Hegseth is now unequivocally denying that he is preparing to seek the White House. The speculation comes as Republicans increasingly look toward the post-Trump era, with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio among the most frequently discussed potential candidates.
Neither Vance nor Rubio has formally launched a 2028 presidential campaign. Vance has said he will make decisions about his political future after the 2026 midterm elections, while Rubio has indicated that he would support Vance if the vice president seeks the Republican nomination.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-weighs-in-on-potential-ted-cruz-presidential-run">publicly acknowledged</a> interest in a future presidential campaign, saying “It’s no secret that I want to be president.” Trump later responded fairly positively to the idea, “Yeah, I would say that he’s very talented. He’s a very good friend of mine. I think he might do that. Yeah, he’s a very talented — he’s a talented guy.”
Before joining Fox News, Hegseth briefly sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota in 2012 before withdrawing from the race. For now, however, Hegseth says his ambitions are focused elsewhere, “My only job: Make @DeptofWar Great Again.”

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Another slate of Democratic candidates running in the midterm elections has rejected former Vice President Kamala Harris&#8217; endorsement, underscoring the toxic brand her failed presidential campaign has left behind in key battleground states.
Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek on Wednesday flatly rejected the idea of Harris campaigning for him.
A <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2026/iowa-us-senate-candidate-josh-turek-d-ia-speaks-to-reporters-in-cedar-rapids/684486">reporter pressed</a> the Senate hopeful at a Cedar Rapids event about whether he would welcome the former vice president — and one of the Democratic Party’s top leaders — onto the campaign trail.
“No,” the state representative firmly said. 
Turek, a state representative and two-time Paralympic gold medalist, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseths-iowa-trip-raises-early-questions-about-2028">challenging</a> Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA), the Republican nominee for the open Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst. Polls show a competitive race in a state Trump won by double digits in 2024. 
Another Iowa Democrat, gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, also rejected the idea of embracing Harris on the stump and even shot down the idea of her running for president again in 2028.
“No thanks. Let’s move on,” Sand told <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/08/26/iowa-governor-rob-sand-state-fair-01049432">Politico</a>. “We need some new leadership.” He also brushed off the idea of seeking former President Biden’s support. “No. Can he even do that right now?” Sand asked.
Sand, Iowa’s current state auditor and the most recent Democrat elected to statewide office, is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/razor-thin-governor-primary-snaps-trump-endorsement-streak">running against</a> Iowa farmer and businessman Zach Lahn, who narrowly defeated Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra to win the Republican nomination for governor in June.
The strategy of sidelining national Democrats is not limited to Iowa, as the Democratic Party’s brand remains deeply unpopular with voters nationwide.
Former Rep. Mary Peltola’s (D-AK) Senate campaign <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senate-hopeful-runs-from-kamala-harris-support">made clear earlier this month</a> that it wants nothing to do with Harris’s message of support.
Harris’s Fight for the People PAC sent an email urging supporters to “stand behind Mary,” The New York Times reported. The PAC called the Alaska contest a “must-win race” for Democrats seeking to retake the Senate, declaring, “If there’s anyone who can flip Alaska and secure the Senate majority for Democrats — it’s Mary.”
The message directed donors to a page asking them to split their contributions between Peltola’s campaign and Harris’s political committee. Peltola’s team quickly pushed back, saying the campaign had not authorized the email and had no knowledge of it before it was sent.
“Mary isn’t seeking endorsements from anyone from the Lower 48 — her focus is and always will be Alaska,” the statement read, citing support she has received from several Alaska labor groups.
Peltola, a former congresswoman, is running against incumbent Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK). In a state Trump won by 13 points, early polling shows a tight race with Peltola holding a two-point advantage, according to <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2026/alaska/peltola-vs-sullivan">RealClearPolitics.</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dan-sullivan-endorses-dan-sullivan-against-dan-sullivan-in-key-senate-race?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dan+Sullivan+Endorses+Dan+Sullivan+Against+Dan+Sullivan+In+Key+Senate+Race">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported how the presence of two Dan Sullivans is confusing voters and complicating a race that could determine control of the Senate.
Republicans moved fast to connect the two. Nick Puglia, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/razor-thin-governor-primary-snaps-trump-endorsement-streak">said</a> Peltola had worked “hand in hand with Kamala Harris to put Alaska last, so it’s no surprise that Harris is backing Peltola.”

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The National Rifle Association is going on the road for the 2026 midterm elections, launching its first-ever national bus tour Thursday to mobilize gun owners across 13 states where control of Congress and statehouses is up for grabs, the group exclusively told The Daily Wire.
The NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) launched the 2026 NRA’s Gun Bus Battleground Tour, sending a tour bus on a more than two-month, 63-stop trek through key battleground states. The tour will conclude on Election Day, November 3.
The tour is designed to bring NRA-ILA staff and volunteers directly to voters rather than relying on traditional campaign advertising. “Gun owners don’t need another polished ad interrupting their favorite show. They need real conversations about what’s at stake for the Second Amendment,” NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford told the Daily Wire. “The Gun Bus Tour puts NRA staff and volunteers on the ground where it matters most — talking directly with the men and women who form the backbone of this organization,” Commerford continued. “This is how we build lasting political power: one conversation, one neighborhood, one vote at a time.”
The tour will travel through Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Stops will range from gun stores and manufacturing facilities to college football tailgates and community events, including Michigan’s annual Oktoberfest. The tour will also feature appearances from pro-Second Amendment candidates running for local, state, and federal office.
The NRA’s first stop will be in Dillon, Montana, at Montana’s Biggest Weekend, a Labor Day celebration centered around the Beaverhead County Fair. The event includes rodeo competitions, livestock shows, a carnival, a country music concert, and a parade.
Other stops include college football matchups, including the Iowa vs. Iowa State tailgate in Iowa City; the Wisconsin vs. Penn State tailgate in State College, Pennsylvania; and the Kentucky vs. South Carolina tailgate festivities in Columbia, South Carolina. They will also stop at the NRA’s National Sporting Clays Championship in San Antonio, Texas.
The tour comes as Republicans defend their majorities in both chambers of Congress and as gun rights remain a major dividing line between the parties. The NRA says its goal is to ensure that pro-Second Amendment candidates retain control of Congress and state governments while supporting candidates in critical state and local races.
NRA CEO Doug Hamlin warned that recent gains for gun owners could be reversed if Republicans lose control of Congress or statehouses. “Across the country, the NRA is working tirelessly to advance and protect the rights of law-abiding citizens,” Hamlin said. “Thanks to our incredible staff and millions of NRA members, we have secured major victories that have ushered in a golden age of gun ownership.”
“However, while we are enjoying unprecedented success, if we lose pro-gun majorities in Congress and the statehouses, the incredible gains we have made can be wiped out by the stroke of a pen,” he added. “That is why it is more critical than ever for gun owners to get activated and vote to protect their sacred, God-given rights.&#8221;

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With Maine and Michigan on the rocks, Democrats are increasingly focusing on the American plains as an alternative path to win Senate control. 
Democrats are hoping that an overwhelmingly favorable political environment will put solidly red states that once seemed like pipe dreams in play. And they&#8217;re hoping that a staunchly Republican constituency — American farmers — could help put them over the edge amid economic struggles exacerbated by the Trump administration&#8217;s tariff regime. 
As things currently stand, Republicans are still favorites to hold Senate seats in Iowa and Nebraska. But prediction markets put their odds in the 60-70% range in each, close enough to cause some anxiety for the GOP. Democrats are even beginning to talk about Kansas, though that remains a greater longshot. Cook Political Report has moved Iowa into the &#8220;tossup&#8221; category, while Nebraska and Kansas are &#8220;Likely R.&#8221;
Nebraska and Iowa rank among the top five soybean-producing states in the country, and have traditionally sold over 50% of their crop to China. China responded to Trump&#8217;s tariffs with a 13% import duty for soybeans, leading Brazil to overtake the United States as China’s top soybean supplier last fall.
Farmers are also seeing rising costs for fertilizer. The global fertilizer index shows the wholesale fertilizer price has increased <a href="https://ycharts.com/indicators/fertilizers_index_world_bank">84.1%</a> in the last two years, worsening since the start of the war in Iran. 
A May 2026 Fox poll showed Trump’s support across rural America <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-approval-rating-rural-americans-farmers-11982592">slipping</a> into negative territory, driven by farm struggles. 
The farm economy has been under pressure. The American Farm Bureau reported that Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies rose 46% in 2025. Costs for fertilizer, seeds, and equipment are up.
Yet despite these challenges, many farmers remain supportive of Trump.
“As farmers because of tariffs we are hurting, however, for the long term if something doesn&#8217;t happen the country is going to fall,&#8221; one Nebraskan farmer told The Daily Wire. “He’s trying to make changes for the better.&#8221;
A farmer from southern Illinois echoed that sentiment. “I don’t think farmers are going to start voting Democratic. Under both the Biden and Trump administrations, we&#8217;ve dealt with low grain prices alongside higher diesel costs. Farmers have been squeezed by lower commodity prices and rising input costs. The difference today is that fertilizer costs are higher than they were under the last administration, but we’ve also received some relief through the Big Beautiful Bill’s Farmer Bridge Assistance Program. It’s not a cure-all, but it does help offset some of the pressure farmers are facing.”
The farmers’ views highlight the challenge facing Democrats. Farmers across the Midwest are experiencing real economic strain, but while the frustration is real, it has not translated into a mass movement towards the other side of the aisle. 
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/economics/farmers-iowa-struggling-trumps-economy-still-support-him-rcna345613">NBC interviewed</a> 13 Iowa farmers and found that while many were hurting from burdening rising costs, the majority said they don’t regret supporting Trump. 
“It’s going to get ugly for a while, but in the long run, it’s going to help us,” said one farmer. “Trump is the first president we’ve had in a long time that will stand up to China, because China just runs all over us.”
The tension between the tariffs and prices persists, though. Just last week, Trump announced he is allowing a massive increase of beef imports to try and bring prices down, upsetting some in the agricultural sector.
The White House argues that Trump&#8217;s policies are addressing the challenges farmers face. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, “President Trump is helping our agriculture industry by negotiating new trade deals, lowering input costs, bolstering the farm safety net, doubling the death tax exemption, ending taxes on rural property loan interest, creating rural opportunity zones, and more.”
The administration has also sought to communicate those benefits directly to producers. It launched &#8220;OnlyFarms,&#8221; a federal platform featuring an interactive map that allows farmers and ranchers to calculate projected savings from Trump&#8217;s agricultural agenda. Trump also invited hundreds of farmers and ranchers to the White House in March. Speaking from a balcony overlooking a gold-painted tractor, he assured attendees that they &#8220;once again have a true friend and champion in the Oval Office.&#8221;
Still, Democrats seem determined to expand the map to America&#8217;s heartland. Chuck Schumer has staved off the DSA insurgency and gotten moderate-presenting nominees in Iowa and Kansas, and in Nebraska, the party is backing an independent candidate to try and shirk the horrific brand of the Democrats. 
More battlegrounds mean a need for more money though, and an inconvenient fact remains for Democrats: the DNC is broke, and the RNC is flush with cash.

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A lefty Lutheran minister running to flip a battleground Iowa congressional district has preached the importance of “showing up” on the campaign trail — while her own record shows she’s been a no-show for dozens of key votes in the state legislature.
State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott (D-IA), the Democratic candidate for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, leaned on her pastoral background in the <span class="iNqyIf" data-sfc-cp="" data-sfc-root="ep" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);">Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)<span class="WBgIic Wg1cdb notranslate" data-wiz-attrbind="class=yVqw8e_l/R4Tih" data-sfc-root="ep" data-wiz-uids="yVqw8e_m,yVqw8e_n,yVqw8e_o" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);"><span class="NMq1me" data-animation-atomic="" data-wiz-attrbind="class=yVqw8e_l/TKHnVd" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);"><span aria-hidden="true" data-sfc-ls="yVqw8e_l/kMntnd" data-copy-service-computed-style="font-family: &quot;Google Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; margin: 0px; text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 0px rgb(10, 10, 10);"> over the weekend to argue that she is uniquely equipped to represent her constituents every day in Washington.
“Everyone knows me as the pastor. I am a Lutheran minister. I still preach on the weekends, and this month I&#8217;m celebrating the 18th anniversary of my ordination,” she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKfUkUr9XhA">said</a> at the Iowa State Fair. “And one thing that I have learned from ministry is to serve a community well, you have got to show up.&#8221;
Trone Garriott&#8217;s voting record tells a very different story. In the 2026 Iowa Senate session, Trone Garriott has already missed 62 of 312 floor roll-call votes — roughly 20% of all votes, according to her legislative record reviewed by The Daily Wire.
Among the votes she <a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/SJNL/20260324_SJNL.pdf">skipped</a> were a <a href="https://legiscan.com/IA/bill/HF2515/2025">bill strengthening sentences for sex predators</a> convicted of sexually exploiting minors and legislation <a href="https://legiscan.com/IA/bill/HF2739/2025">funding the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services</a>, including Medicaid — a critical source of funding for rural health care and an issue Trone Garriott has <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/videos/news/politics/2026/03/15/iowa-us-house-candidate-sarah-trone-garriott-talks-rural-healthcare/89154635007/">repeatedly highlighted</a> on the campaign trail. Treon Garriott did not obtain a leave of absence for missing either vote.
The D.C. hopeful also missed other consequential votes, including legislation funding <a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/SJNL/20260502_SJNL.pdf">veterans’ services</a> in the state and a bill cracking down on <a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/SJNL/20260502_SJNL.pdf">human trafficking</a> by expanding screening and strengthening protections for victims.
The Daily Wire has reached out to Trone Garriott for comment.
A state legislator missing 20% of recorded votes falls well short of the typical member of Congress&#8217; voting rate. In 2025, members of the House and Senate collectively participated in 96.8% of roll-call votes, meaning the average member missed roughly 3.2%, <a href="https://rollcall.com/2026/03/11/vote-studies-participation-up-in-2025-despite-notable-absences">according to a Roll Call analysis</a>.
Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), her Republican opponent, has a 95% attendance rate, according to <a href="https://www.stumpwatch.com/politicians/zachary-nunn-n000193">StumpWatch</a>, a political accountability tracking website. In November, the two candidates will battle for a purple congressional seat that could help determine control of the House. In 2024, Nunn won the Des Moines-area district by less than four percentage points.
&#8220;Sarah Trone Garriott couldn&#8217;t be bothered to show up when Iowans needed a tax break or rural healthcare needed funding, but she never hesitated to cash in her taxpayer-funded paycheck,” RNC spokesman Zach Kraft said in a statement to The Daily Wire. &#8220;Iowans want bipartisan workhorses like combat veteran Zach Nunn, not do-nothing career politicians like Sarah Trone Garriott.&#8221;
The Lutheran minister looking for a promotion to Congress once claimed that challenges to the traditional definitions of men and women are “very threatening” to white men and downplayed concerns about the dangers of transgender ideology for women, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-democrat-candidate-says-trans-ideology-threatens-the-white-male">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported. During a 2023 <a href="https://www.iaumc.org/newsdetail/sen-rev-sarah-throne-garrett-encourages-laity-to-confront-christian-nationalism-18119210">speech</a> on “Christian Nationalism” at Ames First United Methodist Church, Trone Garriott argued that Evangelical Christians needed “threats” to react against to maintain their identity.
When she did show up to vote, Trone Garriott rejected a bill to keep <a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/SJNL/20220302_SJNL.pdf#page=4">boys out of girls’ sports</a> and <a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/SJNL/20230307_SJNL.pdf#page=26">opposed</a> legislation shielding children from transgender procedures. Still, on the campaign trail, she touts herself as a legislator who will represent Republicans and Democrats alike in Congress.
&#8220;You have to show up for everyone because that is what my neighbors deserve. A legislator who is going to show up for them whether they vote for them or not,” she told the fair crowd. “And I would often knock doors just to tell my neighbors even if they said they weren’t going to vote for me. I want you to know who I am, and here’s my phone number so you can call me if you need help, because that’s my job.”

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Last week, Iowa led the nation with the first Workforce Pell Grant program in the country approved by the U.S. Department of Education. According to a <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-approves-nations-first-workforce-pell-grant-program-iowa">press release</a> from the Department, it is “a major milestone in expanding faster, more affordable pathways to careers in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sectors and occupations.”
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-approves-nations-first-workforce-pell-grant-program-iowa">explained</a> that “Now, the Workforce Pell program will allow schools to fast-track students within eight to 15 weeks into rewarding careers with little-to-no debt, expanding high-quality career opportunities and paving the way to a stronger and more resilient economy.”
Director of the Iowa Department of Education McKenzie Snow <a href="https://educate.iowa.gov/press-release/2026-05-01/iowa-launched-first-nation-state-application-short-term-demand-programs-access-new-federal-workforce">said</a>, “With the nation’s first Workforce Pell application, Iowa will identify postsecondary programs with the best completion, employment, and earnings outcomes, ensuring students get a strong return on their investment and employers have the skilled talent pipelines they need here in Iowa.”
For years, states have talked about education innovation. Iowa is taking strides toward making that happen with reforms that expand opportunity, strengthen workforce development, and empower families.
While many states continue to operate within outdated systems and rigid bureaucratic structures, Iowa is a national leader in rethinking how education dollars, workforce programs, and student opportunities can better align with the needs of families, educators, and employers. This shift is already visible in Iowa&#8217;s recent actions.
Earlier this year, Iowa <a href="https://x.com/EDSecMcMahon/status/2009343079569084565?s=20">became the first state</a> in the nation to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Education for a Returning Education to the States Waiver, giving state leaders greater flexibility over federal education funding and reducing administrative burdens that often divert resources away from students and classrooms. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the waiver will allow Iowa to <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-approves-iowas-returning-education-states-waiver">redirect millions of dollars</a> from compliance activities to student-focused initiatives. This approval marks an important step in that broader effort.
More specifically, according to the <a href="https://educate.iowa.gov/pk-12/essa/guidance-allocations/iowas-unified-allocation-plan">Iowa Department of Education website</a>, the “plan seeks to focus more federal resources on improving student achievement over federal compliance.” The <a href="https://educate.iowa.gov/pk-12/essa/guidance-allocations/iowas-unified-allocation-plan">reduced compliance expenses</a> will allow “nearly $8 million in time and resources to be redirected from compliance to the classroom over four years.” Iowa will be able to spend less time navigating federal requirements and more time investing in student learning.
This allowance reflects the Trump administration’s recognition that state leaders are best positioned to identify and address the unique needs of their students. As a result, other states are looking to Iowa’s example and seeking waivers.
In May, Louisiana followed Iowa’s lead and became the <a href="https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-approves-louisianas-returning-education-states-waiver">second state</a> to receive a Returning Education to the States Waiver, closely modeling its application after Iowa’s. Since then, Indiana, Vermont, Arkansas, and South Dakota have all sought and received waivers mirroring Iowa’s consolidation of state-level activities funds.
The Iowa Department of Education website explains that approval of the Returning Education to the States Waiver was the first step in Iowa’s <a href="https://educate.iowa.gov/pk-12/essa/guidance-allocations/iowas-unified-allocation-plan">Unified Allocation Plan</a>. With the plan, Iowa seeks to align resources around statewide priorities that produce measurable outcomes for students rather than treating federal education programs as isolated funding streams.
Iowa&#8217;s innovative approach to education did not begin with federal waivers. Thanks to Governor Reynolds’ unwavering resolve to advance education freedom, Iowa was among the first states in the nation to pass sweeping legislation allowing education funding to follow the child.
After much work, in January 2023, Governor Reynolds <a href="https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2023-01-24/gov-reynolds-signs-students-first-act-law">signed</a> Iowa&#8217;s Students First Act, creating an Education Savings Account (ESA) program that allows funding to follow K-12 students to accredited nonpublic schools. After its initial two-year income-restricted phase-in process, ESAs were expanded to <a href="https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2023-01-24/gov-reynolds-signs-students-first-act-law">all K-12 students</a> beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
Iowa’s commitment to education freedom extends beyond ESAs. By expanding charter schools, supporting open enrollment and protecting homeschool opportunities, the state has empowered more families to choose the educational environment that best meets their children’s needs. Today, nearly one in five Iowa students exercises some form of school choice, demonstrating the state’s commitment to putting students and families at the center of education policy.
Director Snow has developed a clear vision with the following <a href="https://educate.iowa.gov/about#iowa-bold-vision-mission-amp-priorities">priorities</a>: teacher recruitment, development, and retention; evidence-based instruction; narrowing achievement gaps through accountability and support; multiple pathways to postsecondary success and completion; and vibrant, safe, and healthy learning environments.
Iowa students are achieving academic results, including an <a href="https://educate.iowa.gov/press-release/2025-08-20/iowa-achieves-impressive-gains-early-literacy-science-new-2025-spring-statewide-student-assessment">11-percentage-point</a> increase in early literacy proficiency from third to fourth grade and a <a href="https://educate.iowa.gov/press-release/2025-08-20/iowa-achieves-impressive-gains-early-literacy-science-new-2025-spring-statewide-student-assessment">seven-percentage-point</a> increase in science proficiency in tenth grade.
But it doesn’t end there. Iowa is also charting a new path in workforce readiness. Now, <a href="https://educate.iowa.gov/press-release/2025-09-15/significant-increase-number-iowa-high-school-students-achieving-work-based-learning-experiences">45%</a> of all Iowa seniors have completed at least one high-quality work-based learning experience while in high school, up <a href="https://educate.iowa.gov/press-release/2025-09-15/significant-increase-number-iowa-high-school-students-achieving-work-based-learning-experiences">20 percentage points</a> in just the past two years.
Rather than forcing students into one-size-fits-all pathways, Iowa is expanding access to industry-aligned training that can quickly connect learners to meaningful careers. It also reinforces the need for multiple pathways to success, whether that means pursuing a four-year degree, earning an industry-recognized credential, entering an apprenticeship, or launching directly into a high-demand profession.
Iowa&#8217;s approach recognizes that economic growth and educational opportunity are deeply interconnected. The state&#8217;s efforts also demonstrate what can happen when education leaders challenge long-standing assumptions. Iowa has pursued flexibility, integrated workforce development with education, and proactively developed solutions tailored to the needs of its students and communities.
Iowa’s work is far from finished. Raising student achievement, expanding opportunity, and preparing learners for success in a rapidly changing economy require ongoing commitment and continuous improvement. Yet Iowa has distinguished itself as a state willing to challenge conventional approaches and pursue meaningful reform.
With the future of education shifting away from Washington, D.C., and back to the states, where it rightly belongs, Iowa offers a compelling model for others to follow. Through greater flexibility, parent empowerment, and stronger alignment between education and workforce needs, Iowa is demonstrating how state-led innovation can better serve students. If more states embrace a similar commitment to bold leadership and results-driven reform, the nation’s education system will be better positioned to prepare the next generation for success in school, work, and life.
***
Dr. Keri D. Ingraham is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, and a Senior Fellow at Independent Women.

Iowa Approves New Six-Week Abortion Ban

The Innovative Iowa Blueprint Leading The Nation In Education Freedom

DW Opinion

Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)

Kim Reynolds

School Choice

Workforce Pell Grants

An attorney representing two migrants who were inside a van during a recent fatal ICE-involved shooting in Houston is facing serious criminal charges of his own.
Immigration attorney Hugo Balderas-Ibarra was indicted in February on a felony charge of assault involving family violence by impeding breathing, Houston station KPRC 2 <a href="https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2026/07/14/first-on-2-attorney-representing-two-of-the-ice-detainees-is-facing-felony-assault-charge/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. He also faces charges of kidnapping and battery in Seminole County, Florida. Court records show he is scheduled to be sentenced in that case on July 15.
He was previously convicted of burglary in 2008 and domestic assault in 2009 in Iowa.
Balderas-Ibarra represents Daniel Tirado Pantoja and José Trinidad Rojas Pliego, who were passengers in a van whose driver was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week in Houston, the local news outlet reported. The pair was swiftly taken into ICE custody and remains in a detention center in Conroe, Texas.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the officer &#8220;weaponized&#8221; the van “in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer.&#8221; The men reportedly said they were going to work at a construction site after buying ice and water when they noticed an unmarked vehicle following them.
The attorney&#8217;s assault charge stems from an alleged attack on a woman who said she had been dating Balderas-Ibarra, who became abusive when the couple moved in together, KPRC 2 reported. The woman said she decided to leave after finding something on his phone while he was in the shower.
She then left early for a flight to Florida before Balderas-Ibarra brought her suitcases, throwing them to the ground and grabbing her by the neck as she went to pick them up. He squeezed her throat and twisted it, leaving her unable to breathe, according to KPRC 2.
A law enforcement officer determined that the woman&#8217;s neck was red and swollen through photographic evidence.
Balderas-Ibarra is out of custody on a $20,000 bond and faces a court hearing July 21, according to court records.
In a statement to KPRC 2, Balderas-Ibarra pleaded for the media to ignore his charges and focus on his defendants in the immigration case.
“I maintain my innocence and believe the focus should continue to be on my clients, rather than shifting focus onto me. Don’t lose focus!&#8221; he said.
Balderas-Ibarra has been eligible to practice law in the Lone Star State since January 2025. He is currently practicing with a probationary license, according to the Texas Bar <a href="https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Find_A_Lawyer&amp;template=/Customsource/MemberDirectory/MemberDirectoryDetail.cfm&amp;ContactID=356553" target="_blank" rel="noopener">directory</a>.
Balderas-Ibarra has no public disciplinary history listed on his State Bar of Texas profile.
The immigration lawyer <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7477870402107527168/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleges</a> that he is the “product of birthright citizenship” and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7479236034069803008/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calls</a> himself “El Abogado Tejano” — a lawyer who is a Texan and of Mexican descent, according to his LinkedIn account.

Untitled design – 2026-07-14T160122.853

Immigration Lawyer Representing Migrants In ICE Shooting Exposed for Criminal Background

Anti-ICE

Crime

Florida

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Lawyer

President Donald Trump’s successful endorsement streak came to an end in Iowa on Tuesday after Iowa farmer and businessman Zach Lahn narrowly defeated Trump-endorsed Rep. Randy Feenstra to win the Republican nomination for governor.
Lahn defeated Feenstra by less than 2,000 votes, winning 37.79% of the vote to the Republican congressman’s 37.01%. Feenstra, who entered Congress in 2021 after ousting former Rep. Steve King in the Republican primary, received Trump’s endorsement late last week. Conservative businessman Adam Steen won 15% of the vote. 
“We were outspent, opposed by the establishment, told to wait our turn. Well, tonight, the people of Iowa had something to say about that, that we&#8217;re not gonna wait anymore,” Lahn said during his victory speech. “They said Iowa doesn&#8217;t belong to the political class. They said our state does not belong to the lobbyists, special interests, and corporate giants for far too long have had way too much power in our state.”
WATCH FROM TODAY&#8217;S EPISODE OF MORNING WIRE:
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Lahn had the backing of the MAHA Action political action committee and the endorsement of Charlie Kirk&#8217;s Turning Point Action, while Trump endorsed Feenstra last Friday. 
“A Fourth Generation Iowan, successful Businessman, former Treasurer of Sioux County, State Senator, and now, as a distinguished U.S. Congressman, Randy has delivered strong results for the Hawkeye State,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. 
Trump’s endorsement record has proved strong in recent weeks, helping to take down numerous GOP incumbents, including Rep. Thomas Massie (Kentucky) and Senators John Cornyn (Texas) and Bill Cassidy (Louisiana). 
That streak ended with Feenstra — the first candidate Trump backed for governor, the House, or the Senate to lose a 2026 primary — who said Tuesday that he would support Lahn&#8217;s campaign against Democrat candidate Rob Sand.
&#8220;I just called Zach Lahn, and said, ‘Hey, you got to carry this torch. We got to keep this state red. We&#8217;ve got to make sure we beat Rob Sand. And I’m all in to help him out,'&#8221; he said. 
Lahn campaigned heavily on MAHA issues, <a href="https://www.zachlahn.com/policy">promising</a> on his campaign website to “confront the cancer crisis” by conducting “independent state safety tests on products used in Iowa,” pursuing “antitrust suits against monopolistic agricultural input companies to help our farmers,” and giving “incentives” to farmers to “address agricultural runoff and water contamination.”
Fast food chain Steak ‘n Shake entered the race last week as well, endorsing Lahn. 
“Congratulations to Zach Lahn! Voters took a stand and supported a MAHA candidate in a tight primary race,” the restaurant <a href="https://x.com/SteaknShake/status/2062137748366954677">said</a> Tuesday. “Steak n Shake remains undefeated in political endorsements.”
Lahn will face Sand, Iowa’s current state auditor and the most recent Democrat elected to statewide office.

MixCollage-03-Jun-2026-08-42-AM-2153

Razor-Thin Governor Primary Snaps Trump Endorsement Streak

Trump Endorsement Streak Ends After Razor Thin Governor Primary

Donald Trump

MAHA

U.S. Politics

Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that uncovering fraud in the federal government was like “fishing in a barrel with dynamite.” His comment came after The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/medicaid-millionaires-how-the-feds-pay-immigrants-billions-to-hang-out-with-their-families?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DW+Investigation+Reveals+One+Of+The+Biggest+Government+Waste+Scandals+Hiding+In+Plain+Sight">reported</a> Monday that Ohio was doling out federal Medicaid dollars for people to spend time with their families. 
Vance, who is heading up the President Donald Trump’s Fraud Task Force, said he is surprised every week to find what kind of fraud his team was discovering. 
“Finding fraud in the federal government, it&#8217;s kind of like fishing in a barrel with dynamite. Every week, I get a report for the task force,” Vance said during an appearance in Iowa. “I am shocked every single day by the things that we find.”
Vance previously promised on Monday that the Fraud Task Force would dig into The Daily Wire’s reporting on Medicaid fraud in his home state. 
“These shocking allegations, if true, show why the Fraud Task Force’s work is so important. I’m directing the task force to look into it and take immediate action to prosecute any fraudsters involved and stop all further payments as appropriate,” he wrote on X, sharing a thread from Daily Wire investigative reporter Luke Rosiak detailing the uncovered fraud.
Rosiak reported Monday that Ohio spent a billion dollars on home health care in 2024, the last year for which data is available. What these funds went toward was difficult to verify because they often went toward “home health care” performed in private residences by family members of those getting the care.
During his speech in Iowa, Vance said that the Trump administration was working to go after the fraudsters who have grown rich by defrauding the American taxpayer. 
“We had let fraud become so rampant in this country that people were able to get rich, not by creating something amazing, not by employing something, not by building something beautiful with their hands,” Vance said. “They were able to get rich by defrauding every single person in this room.”
The vice president said Somali fraudsters in Minneapolis had taken advantage of a program intended to help autistic children and discussed rampant Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) waste uncovered by Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins. 
He said that Rollins had found 355,000 people receiving double SNAP benefits and 186,000 dead people on SNAP. 
“I actually think that we should take food stamps away from dead people,” Vance said. “I&#8217;m guilty of that. I think that&#8217;s a reasonable thing.”
The fight over SNAP fraud has now <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-more-food-stamps-for-millionaires-the-fight-over-snap-fraud-heads-to-the-states">headed to the states</a> where lawmakers are attempting to eliminate a loophole called broad-based categorical eligibility which allows people to qualify for SNAP without asset testing.

Vice President JD Vance Speaks At A Manufacturing Facility In Des Moines, Iowa

JD Vance Ramps Up ‘Dynamite’ Fraud Crackdown After DW Investigation Exposes Barrel Of Abuse

Fraud

JD Vance

Medicaid

The former superintendent of Iowa&#8217;s largest school district, who was in the United States illegally, published a book from jail while awaiting sentencing on federal charges.
Ian Roberts, the former head of Des Moines Public Schools, released a book titled &#8220;Unshakable: How Bold Leaders Win Hearts, Inspire Minds, and Obtain Results During Crisis&#8221; on Monday while in custody.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/09/27/ice-arrests-criminal-alien-serving-des-moines-public-schools-superintendent-prior">arrested</a> Roberts, a Guyanese national, in September. Authorities said he had an active deportation order and was living in the United States illegally at the time of his arrest.
Roberts attempted to flee from the federal agents and was found with a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed-blade hunting knife, the Department of Homeland Security said at the time.
Roberts pleaded guilty in January to federal charges of making false statements about his immigration status and unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) called Roberts&#8217; book release &#8220;insane,&#8221; saying he&#8217;s &#8220;trying to profit&#8221; from his situation.
Roberts came to the United States as a tourist in 1994, then obtained a student visa five years later, according to DHS. He applied for a green card on four separate occasions and was denied each time.
Roberts was <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/10/03/dhs-releases-new-information-extensive-criminal-history-illegal-alien-ian-roberts">charged</a> in 1996 with criminal possession of narcotics with intent to sell, criminal possession of narcotics, criminal possession of a forgery device, and possession of a forged instrument in New York, according to DHS. Two years later, he was charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle in Queens, New York, which was later dismissed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
What on earth?? The illegal immigrant &amp; ICE fugitive who led Iowa’s largest school district is now trying to profit from it?
You can’t make this up. Insane. <a href="https://t.co/tDgbGsVEAY">pic.twitter.com/tDgbGsVEAY</a>
— Ashley Hinson (@hinsonashley) <a href="https://twitter.com/hinsonashley/status/2049951022508855604?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Roberts was convicted of reckless driving, unsafe operation, and speeding in Maryland on November 1, 2012. In 2020, he was hit with charges for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (having a loaded firearm outside his home or business); third-degree criminal possession of a weapon (an ammunition feeding device); and fourth-degree weapons charges, according to DHS.
His work permit expired on December 18, 2020, roughly three years before he was hired to lead Des Moines Public Schools. He never showed up to his immigration hearing and a judge ordered his deportation in his absence.
Roberts was convicted of unlawful possession of a loaded firearm in Pennsylvania in 2022.
Federal officials say Roberts falsely claimed to be a United States citizen when applying for the superintendent role in June 2023.

Untitled design – 2026-05-01T112342.104

Illegal Immigrant Ex-School Official Accused Of ‘Trying To Profit’ Behind Bars

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Sarah Trone Garriott has a Harvard Divinity degree, a Lutheran ordination, and a history of calling Christianity a threat. Now she wants to be your Congresswoman.
Garriott, who is currently serving in the Iowa State Senate and running to flip Iowa’s Third Congressional District blue, made remarks in 2023 that should follow her to every campaign stop, debate stage, and Iowa church pew between now and November. Speaking about religious conservatives, she described them as &#8220;uncomfortable&#8221; — as something that “feels very threatening” — and linked Christianity itself to “political violence.” Not radical Islam. Not jihadist ideology. Christianity. 

She said this as an ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Three years later, with Holy Week upon us and a string of Islamic terror attacks fresh in the national memory, Garriott’s remarks deserve to be exhumed, examined, and explained. Not because they were gaffes — they weren’t. They deserve attention because they are a window into exactly what the modern religious Left believes: that the greatest threat to civil society is not the ideology responsible for over 60,800 terror attacks in the last half-century, but the people filling church pews on Palm Sunday.
During Holy Week, as Christian communities are still burying their dead from coordinated massacres in Nigeria, this inversion of morality is morally obscene.
Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world, so it was unfortunately not a complete shock that on Palm Sunday, while progressive politicians were busy casting aspersions on churchgoing Christians, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/world/africa/palm-sunday-attack-nigeria-dead.html">coordinated attacks</a> devastated Christian communities across central and northern Nigeria in what survivors are calling the Palm Sunday Massacres. Entire congregations were targeted. Families were slaughtered on one of the holiest days of the liturgical calendar. Christianity is not causing violence, Reverend Garriott; it is absorbing it. 
This is not an anomaly. It is an escalating pattern that cowardly politicians refuse to name. In March of 2026 alone, there were four confirmed Islamist terror attacks on Western soil, with at least four additional major plots thwarted before they reached fruition. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, the trend driving mass-casualty violence is not Christian nationalism — it’s the jihadist radicalism that’s been methodically seeping into this country for decades: Over 60,800 Islamic terror attacks were carried out globally in the last fifty years. The comparable figure for attacks attributed to Christian or Jewish extremism amounts to a few hundred. These are not remotely equivalent threats, and any elected official who pretends otherwise is either ignorant or dishonest. 
So what, precisely, does threaten these power-hungry clerics? It is not the Sermon on the Mount. It is not the notion that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). What threatens them is the downstream consequence of a populace that actually lives by those words. Christians grounded in Scripture are harder to manipulate, less dependent on the government as their provider, and far less likely to hand power to pseudo-believers whose lives represent the antithesis of everything Christ commands. This dynamic was on full display just this week when Daily Wire host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wire-host-fires-back-after-the-view-melts-down-over-her-support-for-young-families">Isabel Brown</a> was publicly castigated for the radical act of suggesting marriage and children are worth pursuing — a principle so foundational it runs from Genesis through the Pauline epistles. Garriott herself has voted against protecting women’s sports from biological males and against banning gender-transition procedures for minors. That is the true threat they fear — not violence, not extremism, but a people too grounded in faith to go along with these cultural lies. 
 
Certainly, there are wolves in the pulpit. There are leaders who have abandoned orthodoxy, twisted Scripture for popularity and applause, and led congregations into confusion rather than conviction. That apostasy is real and genuinely threatening to the Church and her faithful. But the solution to bad theology is not to hand political power to the theologians perpetrating it. In a world where America is still called the “Great Satan” by those who mean it literally, and where our cultural foundations are being eroded daily, authentic Christians are not the problem. They are the last best hope of restoring the Christian values upon which this republic was built.
Sarah Trone Garriott is a wolf in pearls — ordained, Harvard-educated, interfaith-credentialed, and deeply hostile to the faith she claims to represent. A minister who thinks Christianity is an imminent threat is not a pastor; she is a politician in a collar. Don’t let her do to Iowa’s Third District what Judas did in the garden — betray it with a kiss, wearing the vestments of a friend.

Midterm Fight Over Trump Bill, Tariffs Starts Early At Iowa Fair

She Said Christianity Feels ‘Threatening.’ Now She Wants Your Vote.

She Said Christianity Feels 'Threatening.' Now She Wants Your Vote.

Congress

Elections

Leftists

Radical Islam

Religion

A Democrat Senate candidate, looking to court the votes of working and middle-class families in Iowa, held a campaign event at a Leftist bookstore that once promoted a 14-year-old “drag queen” and routinely stocks sexually explicit books parents don’t want their kids to access at school. 
Zach Wahls, running for the seat currently held by Senator Joni Ernst, hosted an event at the Ames-based Dog-Eared Books, a bookstore that remains a haven for leftist ideology. The bookstore has promoted &#8220;Drag Queen Story Hour&#8221; for children and called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). 
At the event, Wahls and his wife, romance novelist Chloe Angyal, <a href="https://www.mobilize.us/zachwahls/event/900039/">discussed</a> “the art of storytelling, the demands of public service, and the intersection of writing and advocacy.” They also discussed how their “parallel careers as authors have shaped their approach to politics, family, and the urgent work of building a better Iowa.” 
While Wahls has portrayed himself as a moderate seeking to work across partisan lines, Dog-Eared Books was a fitting venue for the Senate hopeful. Wahls has a documented history of advocating for leftist politics, though he <a href="https://zachwahls.com/meet-zach-wahls/">pledges</a> to &#8220;always put Iowa families first, no matter what.&#8221;
In September 2021, Dog-Eared Books <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTSLAH9D2No/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D">promoted</a> a teenage boy “drag performer” who goes by the stage name Lonika LaBelle Knight.
“Lonika is a 14 years old drag queen with almost three years of experience under her belt. She nabbed the title of Miss Mason City Youth Pride and performs regularly at Lefty’s Live Music and The Garden Nightclub,” the bookstore posted on Instagram. “She can dance, twirl and capture the attention of everyone in a room with sass and class!”
That same performer returned in June 2023 for “a drag storytime” aimed at children. The bookstore <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtutfoTOBKa/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D">posted</a> on Instagram that the event would “feature movement activities alongside a picture book reading so kids can engage both their minds and bodies.”
<div id="attachment_1054155" style="width: 1005px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1054155" class="size-full wp-image-1054155" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM.png" alt="" width="995" height="999" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM.png 995w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM-300x300.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM-574x576.png 574w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM-150x150.png 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-05-at-9.03.57-AM-768x771.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px" />Dog-Eared Books/Instagram.</div>
Dog-Eared Books has <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dogearedbooksames/posts/pfbid02BxtSgY7jjQf3xq9kxo8q3KXhW4FtBvdBSeUSyz6AnxJfhcxuJJYZitqkKwVtrcrbl?rdid=zAKdxXXuBuAuZWKp">hosted</a> a “Tattoos for Palestine” fundraiser, <a href="https://shop.dogearedbooksames.com/lists/LFoOMjVaW1e0">maintains</a> a “Books for Fighting Fascism” list that includes a book by leftist Senator Bernie Sanders, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dogearedbooksames/posts/pfbid02WFRj6eM98T5tm8Y4768j5HYFWWSoSFMHY1ZxGdRbQ3CnGPrufAEN5sgrVv5TrjWHl?rdid=bBddJGdRmSsMAYxS">called</a> for ICE to be abolished, and has a “You Can’t Read That At School” book <a href="https://dogearedbooksames.com/lists/LJuzFSmrJNY0">selection</a>. That section includes books like “Let’s Talk About It,” a graphic novel that contains explicit depictions of sex. 
The bookstore also released a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqI36acNBXW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D">statement</a> slamming Iowa Republicans when they <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iowa-bans-transgender-procedures-on-minors-trans-identifying-students-from-using-public-facilities-opposite-of-biological-sex">voted</a> to pass a law shielding kids from transgender procedures. It also <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq_nWwqNk1-/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D">raised</a> over $3,000 for the Iowa Trans Mutual Fund, a <a href="https://www.iowatransmutualaidfund.org/aboutus">group</a> that provides grants to Iowans seeking &#8220;gender-affirming care.&#8221; 
As a state senator, Wahls has vehemently opposed laws aimed at protecting kids from transgender surgeries and cross-sex hormonal procedures. He <a href="https://x.com/ZachWahls/status/1633580068696907778">claimed</a> that there was “blood on the hands” of Iowa Republicans who supported the law. His opposition was based on questionable evidence that claimed children would be more likely to commit suicide if they weren’t given transgender procedures. 
Wahls, who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzzDOzKagHA">rose</a> to prominence after discussing his experience of being raised by a lesbian couple, has close connections to <a href="https://oneiowa.org/">One Iowa</a>, an activist group &#8220;rooted in intersectional advocacy for LGBTQ Iowans.&#8221; Wahls toured with the group to promote gay marriage back in 2012 and even <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPV-fDydoKI&amp;t=417s">presented</a> an award to them.
One Iowa <a href="https://oneiowa.org/resources/medicalcareban/">offers</a> to help gender-confused kids access cross-sex hormones from out-of-state providers and schedule surgeries outside of Iowa. The group pushes girls to find breast binders to compress their chest so that it looks more masculine and other gender-confused kids to pursue “voice therapy.” The radical organization <a href="https://x.com/OneIowaAction/status/1493686950959714309?s=20">praised</a> Wahls for supporting male participation in female sports. 
Despite his links to the far-Left, Wahls’ <a href="https://zachwahls.com/issues/">campaign website</a> portrays him as a moderate focused on cutting costs and combatting political corruption. Wahls <a href="https://zachwahls.com/issues/">claims</a> to support securing the border by hiring thousands more Border Patrol agents and immigration judges, and wants to ensure “secure” elections. He also says he wants to “restore abortion access,” pass paid family and medical leave, and a path to “legal status” for illegal aliens “who’ve been here for years, are working, and haven’t committed crimes.”

MixCollage-06-Mar-2026-01-44-PM-2267

‘Family First’ Democrat Senate Hopeful Campaigns At Bookstore That Promoted Teen ‘Drag Queen’

Democrat Senate Hopeful Campaigns At Bookstore That Pushed Teen 'Drag Queen'

LGBT

Senate

Transgender

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