US Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach), who once described herself as a staunch supporter of US military actions against Iran, refused to answer a question about the Iran war at an Oct. 15 event with US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. in Virginia Beach.
Kiggans, the Republican representing Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, attended an event on healthcare workforce shortages with Kennedy at Tidewater Community College’s Regional Health Professions Center, 13NewsNow reported.
A staffer cut off a question from a reporter about whether the Iran war was affecting her reelection campaign against Democrat Elaine Luria. The exchange can be seen in a clip that has been viewed over 3 million times on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We’re not going to talk about that,” the staffer said. “We’re going to keep the questions on today’s topic.”
Kiggans, a Navy veteran, is in a tough reelection fight to represent Virginia’s military- and veteran-heavy 2nd District. Luria, who is also a Navy Veteran, represented the district from 2019 to 2023, and lost her seat to Kiggans.
The Iran war that President Donald Trump began on Feb. 28 with Israel is unpopular, with just 36.3% of Americans supporting the war, according to a polling average compiled by the Silver Bulletin. To date, the military campaign has pushed up the price of gas and diesel, cost the lives of 21 American service members, and resulted in 865 wounded.
Over 100 school children were killed on the first day of the war as Israel and the US began strikes across Iran. At least 1,800 members of Iran’s military have been killed, and at least 1,792 civilians have died, according to estimates reported by the research publication MilitarySpend.
Luria attacked Kiggans for not commenting on a war that Kiggans once openly supported but is speaking less about as Election Day draws nearer.
“This is exactly what’s wrong with Washington,” Luria said in a statement on Oct. 15. “Corrupt politicians like Jen Kiggans think they don’t have to answer for starting wars that put our service members in harm’s way and send prices skyrocketing.”
Kiggans said in April that she “couldn’t be a stauncher supporter” of US military actions against Iran, the Virginia Mercury first reported. In August, Kiggans said she’d “like to see that conflict wrap up.”
In a September social media post, Kiggans reiterated her support for the war in Iran.
“I, too, hope this conflict in Iran ends soon so our military returns home but in the meantime I stand with our military servicemen and women and I look forward to a more peaceful world because we have exercised American strength,” Kiggans said.
Kiggans did not respond to a request for comment for this story.
