Iowa GOP Senate candidate Hinson: Prolonged Iran war could be "political liability"

Iowa Republican Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson privately acknowledged that the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran could become a "political liability" if it stretches beyond the next few weeks, according to audio of a campaign event exchange obtained by CBS News. Hinson made the remarks during a conversation with a voter at a campaign stop in Fort Dodge, Iowa, on May 28. The exchange, first reported by Politico, captures Hinson fielding questions about the war and a potential military draft. "I do hope we can get this done by the next couple of weeks," Hinson said in the recording. "If it drags on beyond that, it's a political liability for us too. Because we've lost Iowa soldiers." Hinson cited the deaths of Iowa service members as the source of her concern. "I've been to four funerals since December. It's awful," she said. Asked whether she had a timeline for the war, Hinson said she was deferring to President Trump and his foreign policy team, who are seeking a deal with Iran to extend the current ceasefire and open talks on Iran's nuclear program. The two countries entered into a ceasefire in April, but occasional clashes have continued, and global oil markets remain impacted by a sharp slowdown in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. "Obviously I was deferring to the President on the negotiations, because he has the team doing it," she said, adding that preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon remains her bottom line. …