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Iowa Democrat Josh Turek won't utter Trump's name but takes sly jab at Ashley Hinson's biggest asset: 'She plays the fiddle well'

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Churchill, V. (2026, October 15). Iowa Democrat Josh Turek won't utter Trump's name but takes sly jab at Ashley Hinson's biggest asset: 'She plays the fiddle well'. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16212905/Iowa-Democrat-Josh-Turek-Trump-Ashley-Hinson-biggest-asset.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

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Daily Mail · collected 2026-10-15 · by Victoria Churchill

Quick Summary

Iowa Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek is running a campaign focused on avoiding mention of former President Trump's name, even though he agrees with some of Trump’s policies. During a debate, when asked about his Republican opponent Ashley Hinson's strongest asset, Turek joked that she "plays the fiddle well," referring to her musical talent showcased at fundraisers. A recent poll shows Turek leading Hinson 48 percent to 45 percent, but nearly six in ten voters believe Hinson will win in November.
Written by AI on 2026-10-15, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Josh Turek, the Democratic nominee for US Senate in Iowa, is avoiding mentioning Donald Trump's name during his campaign to appeal to voters. In a recent interview with the Daily Mail at the University of Northern Iowa, Turek discussed his Republican opponent Ashley Hinson by saying she "plays the fiddle well," referring to her musical talent showcased at fundraisers. Hinson's communications director responded that she is better known for beating liberals than just playing music. Turek sees his race as one of the closest Senate contests, which could be crucial in determining control of the chamber. Despite Trump’s popularity in Iowa where he won three times, Turek focuses on bipartisan issues and rarely mentions the president's name or discusses impeachment.

Written for “Josh Turek Slys Jabs At Ashley Hinson” on 2026-11-04, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Josh Turek Slys Jabs At Ashley Hinson
Politics · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans left and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
CBS News
Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 65/100
“The articles describe different parts of the campaign with distinct events and timing.”
Daily Mail
Hedges 0 of 25 claims Outlet record 69/100
“The articles discuss different aspects of the election dynamics and voter sentiment in Iowa but do not describe the same specific incident or occurrence.”
The Bulwark
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 3 of 9 claims
“The articles cover different aspects of Josh Turek's campaign and do not describe the same specific incident or occurrence.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
15
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
0%
0 of 15 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
69/100
Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-15 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Daily Mail · 9143 article(s) · 22 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 22 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Victoria Churchill
57 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Elections are a vital part of our democracy, and while we may have different perspectives and ideas about the path forward, we all share a common love for our island and a desire to see our people thrive,' he added.
🔮 Turkish has warned that El-Sayed's 'reckless' campaign rhetoric 'puts Jews at risk,' saying he will put 'country before party.' Democratic ad maker Abby Anderson commented on Stevens' new look unveiled at the polls, calling it 'concerning.' '
🔮 Alaska is also predicted to go the way of the Democrats, with another Republican incumbent, Dan S. Sullivan, losing his seat to former Democrat lawmaker Mary Peltola.
🔮 Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Big Apple's mayor Zohran Mamdani have put on a united front in public, joining forces. Yet, as revealed by the New York Times, Mamdani's rapid rise has caused some friction among Ocasio-Cortez' allies, noting, 'While Mr. Mamdani has not universally pleased the left, it has long grated on some Ocasio-Cortez allies that the new mayor seems to be given more deference from more of the base than she was ever afforded.'
🔮 The moment came around an hour into Trump's rally in Daytona Beach on Friday, as the president campaigned ahead of elections that will determine control of Congress.
🔮 - Sign up HERE for the DC Insider Newsletter - for your guide on all the latest from the midterm campaign trail and what's rattling the White House A history professor who has accurately predicted the outcome of nine of the last 11 presidential races has issued his final assessment of the 2026 midterms.
🔮 - Sign up HERE for the DC Insider Newsletter- our guide to what's rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill Republicans are on course to lose the House of Representatives in less than a week, and even President Donald Trump fears his voters will stay home.
🔮 President Trump himself has cast doubt on the GOP's chance at success with concerns about whether conservative voters will show up to vote this fall – especially because he's not on the ballot.
🔮 Per Axios, Castellanos believes that 'Republicans and independents are going to be screaming for attention, and many of them, including those who voted for Trump, may show their frustration by not showing up.'
🔮 At the rally, Darline called him 'one of Lindsey's greatest friends,' adding that Trump 'will always be a part of the Graham family.' Last month, the GOP allocated an additional $5 million in South Carolina to support Darline. The influx of cash was being sent as an 'insurance policy,' per Axios, to keep a seat in Republicans' hands that Lindsey had always won by more than 10 percent.
Also by Victoria Churchill
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 57 articles by Victoria Churchill →

Topics

Democrat Iowa Republican Senate the Daily Mail

Subjects

Turek PERSON · 10× Iowa GPE · 9× Hinson PERSON · 7× Trump PERSON · 7× the Daily Mail ORG · 6× Republican NORP · 4× Josh Turek PERSON · 3× Senate ORG · 3× Democrat NORP · 2× the University of Northern Iowa ORG · 2×

Narrative

The Iowa Democrat also said in last week's debate that he has 'no interest' in looking at impeaching the president because 'we need to look forward, not back.' Iowa's Democratic nominee for the US Senate, Josh Turek, spoke with the Daily Mail during a stop at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Thursday Turek was at the University to meet with college students supporting his campaign After two spirited debates, one held in each of the last two weeks, the Daily Mail asked Turek what he thinks his Republican opponent Ashley Hinson's greatest asset is, to which he responded, 'she plays the fiddle well.' Hinson has long been known for her fiddle-playing, and she has frequently showcased her musical abilities at Republican fundraisers. In response to Turek, Hinson's communications director Billy Fuerst told the Daily Mail: 'She plays a mean fiddle, but she's even better at beating liberals like Josh Turek.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-15
🔮 He told supporters at the University of Northern Iowa on Thursday that he believes his race will be the tightest on the Senate map, potentially determinative in the battle for control of the chamber.

Claims (15 extracted, 0 hedged)

Iowa Democrat Josh Turek is locked in one of the tightest Senate races in the country, and he's employing a noticeable strategy for winning a state Donald Trump carried three times: keep the president's name out of his mouth. asserted
Trump → lock → mouth
Turek, who won his first race for the state legislature by six votes, is no stranger to tough elections. asserted
who → win → elections
He told supporters at the University of Northern Iowa on Thursday that he believes his race will be the tightest on the Senate map, potentially determinative in the battle for control of the chamber. asserted
race → tell → chamber
Despite Trump easily winning Iowa three times, Turek does not often mention the commander in chief's name. asserted
Turek → win → name
He didn't mention it at all in an interview with the Daily Mail Thursday despite being asked about Trump's win margins. asserted
He → mention → margins
In the first Iowa Senate debate last week, Turek mentioned Trump's name only twice, and both times he used it to highlight areas of common ground between the two. asserted
he → mention → two
As a Republican, Hinson mentions Trump more frequently, but is also unafraid to tout her bipartisan dealmaking as well, including a bill on maternal health that was signed into law by President Joe Biden. asserted
that → mention → Biden
Turek has previously said that he agrees 'with President Trump that we need to get private equity out of housing,' and even backed the need to 'ensure that every Iowan and every American has safe and secure borders and safe communities,' adding that he's 'willing to work with anyone, including President Trump, on this issue.' asserted
he → say → issue
The Iowa Democrat also said in last week's debate that he has 'no interest' in looking at impeaching the president because 'we need to look forward, not back.' Iowa's Democratic nominee for the US Senate, Josh Turek, spoke with the Daily Mail during a stop at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls on Thursday Turek was at the University to meet with college students supporting his campaign After two spirited debates, one held in each of the last two weeks, the Daily Mail asked Turek what he thinks his Republican opponent Ashley Hinson's greatest asset is, to which he responded, 'she plays the fiddle well.' Hinson has long been known for her fiddle-playing, and she has frequently showcased her musical abilities at Republican fundraisers. In response to Turek, Hinson's communications director Billy Fuerst told the Daily Mail: 'She plays a mean fiddle, but she's even better at beating liberals like Josh Turek. asserted
she → say → Turek
Iowa Republican US Senate candidate, Ashley Hinson plays the violin during her BBQ fundraiser at the Horizon Events Center on August 29, 2026 in Clive, Iowa A three-term Congresswoman, Hinson was found to be in a statistical dead heat with Turek. asserted
Hinson → play → Turek
A poll released by Marist University Wednesday found Turek leading his opponent 48 percent to 45 percent. asserted
Turek → release → opponent
However, 59 percent of likely statewide voters believed that Hinson would be elected in November. asserted
Hinson → believe → November
Turek told his supporters on Thursday in Cedar Falls that 'young people ... union workers, people in rural communities and farmers' would make the difference in his race. asserted
people → tell → race
Asked earlier this week by the Daily Mail what was making this year's races so competitive, Hinson shared that she always views Iowa as competitive and that she doesn't change the way she runs 'based on poll numbers,' always campaigning like she is 'ten points down.' asserted
she → ask → numbers
President Trump, who won Iowa by 13 percentage points in 2024, announced on Thursday two upcoming visits to the state, planned for October 22 and November 1. The Daily Mail asked Hinson's campaign if she is planning to appear at the rallies and did not immediately receive a response. asserted
she → win → response
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