U.S. Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) criticized Republican candidate Scott Petersen, who’s running for Nebraska Secretary of State, by calling him “the President of the Tin Foil Hat Club.”
Bacon was responding to Petersen’s lengthy thread on X, in which he tried to sow doubt in the integrity of the upcoming election.
Petersen wrote: “Nebraska voters are being asked to trust a system that even our own Secretary of State has admitted is not fully verified, not fully inspected, and not held to modern standards. That should concern every one of us.”
This guy is the President of the TinFoil Hat Club. https://t.co/8HltPsgeeG
— Rep. Don Bacon
(@RepDonBacon) April 23, 2026
On Tuesday, Petersen attacked the Republican incumbent Secretary of State Bob Evnen for promoting himself as “standing with President Trump,” while also “leaning on Don Bacon” to attack Petersen’s candidacy. President Trump has not endorsed either candidate in the race.
As seen below, Petersen responded to an Evnen campaign ad: “You can’t run as ‘Trump-aligned’ and send Don Bacon to do your attacks. Pick a lane. Nebraskans aren’t confused.”
So let’s get this straight:
You’re implying support from @POTUS @realDonaldTrump…
But leaning on Don Bacon to attack a conservative challenger?
You can’t run as “Trump-aligned” and send Don Bacon to do your attacks.
Pick a lane.
Nebraskans aren’t confused. pic.twitter.com/4AGpPZYFr3
— Scott Petersen for Nebraska Secretary of State (@PetersenForNE) April 21, 2026
[NOTE: Evnen has been serving as Nebraska’s Secretary of State since 2019. When he ran for a second term in 2022, he won the Republican primary with 40% of the vote, defeating two candidates (Robert Borer and Rex Schroder) who had endorsed President Trump’s false allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Prior to becoming Secretary of State, Evnen served as general counsel to the Nebraska Republican Party and as campaign treasurer for U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE).]
Nebraska’s 2026 primary election is May 12.