Elizabeth Frantz / REUTERS Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will leave the Pentagon as U.S. soldiers fight in the Middle East to make a special appearance in a heavily contested presidential battleground. Hegseth has confirmed he will head to Iowa on Saturday, March 14, for a fundraising event for Republican congressman Zach Nunn. The Democrats are targeting Iowa in this year’s midterms as Donald Trump continues to lose popularity in Middle America. Combat veteran Nunn has borrowed Top Gun imagery for his ‘Salute to the Troops’ event with Hegseth, to be held at Ankeny Regional Airport. Read more at The Daily Beast.