Two years later, the conversation still stands out to Rep. Don Bacon.
A woman at a conservative event tried to explain to him that she wanted a patriot who would fight. Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, told her he’d served in the Air Force for nearly 30 years and had been deployed in combat four times. He sees himself as a patriot.
“No,” he remembered her responding. “We want someone who’s going to fight for our country. Literally fight.”