Chuck Grassley mourns his longtime cleaning companion Beth

Sen. Chuck Grassley said goodbye to Beth, the vacuum cleaner that had become one of his most familiar social-media props, writing, “GOOD BYE BETH. U hv been a real workhorse.” The Iowa Republican framed the farewell in the same plainspoken voice that had turned an ordinary household appliance into a running political character.

Beth had long appeared in Grassley’s posts around Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving and family gatherings. In one holiday message, Grassley wrote, “Beth I'm sorry I'm a day late putting u to work by vacuuming on Christmas,” while another post said, “Grassley to Beth: Sunday we hv our Easter family gathering are u ready to roll ?” He later repeated the bit in still another message: “Beth to GRASSLEY ‘ready 10/4’ Beth is my old faithful vacuum cleaner.”

The posts built a small but durable corner of Grassley’s public image. Rather than projecting the polished tone that dominates national politics, Grassley used Beth to lean into chores, farm life and family occasions, giving followers a recurring glimpse of a senator who speaks in shorthand, slang and joking domestic routines. Even in a political environment that often rewards outrage, Grassley has kept that homespun style visible.

The final message about Beth carried the same mix of affection and practicality. Grassley said black marks from electrical sparks made the vacuum unsafe to use, then closed with the sign-off: “GOOD BYE BETH. U hv been a real workhorse.” The line fit a brand he has spent years cultivating, one that makes a long-serving senator look less like a distant institution and more like an Iowa operator who knows the value of keeping an old machine running until it cannot run anymore.