Pete Hegseth Has Had 'Serious' Talks About A Run For Office Far From Pentagon: Report

5 months ago 10

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly has had “serious” discussions about running for governor in Tennessee, and he would have to surrender his Cabinet gig to do so.

NBC News on Tuesday cited two people who spoke with the beleaguered military leader about the possibility. One said they talked about eligibility standards and Hegseth’s chances of winning; the other said they covered the “realities” of a campaign.

Both said it was unclear to them whether he would actually give it a go. Civilian employees of the Defense Department are not allowed to run for office, so Hegseth would have to resign before entering any race.

The Pentagon pushed back hard at the report, which included another source saying Hegseth indicated that any exit was “off the table.”

“Fake news NBC is so desperate for attention, they are shopping around a made up story … again,” spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement. “Only two options exist: either the ‘sources’ are imaginary or these reporters are getting punked.”

Hegseth has had a rocky start since graduating from the curvy couch as a host of “Fox & Friends” to one of the most powerful posts in the Trump administration.

He took heat for sharing details about an imminent attack on Yemen in a Signal chat that accidentally included a reporter. He was embarrassed by leaks of an early Pentagon report that the United States’ recent bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites was not as successful as the administration claimed. He even lashed out at a former Fox News colleague for asking about it.

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A recent report from a conservative tabloid claimed that several Pentagon officials, citing dysfunction and poor morale under him, are planning to urge his removal in a letter. Parnell dismissed the article as “gossip.”

Hegseth has a home in Tennessee but it’s unclear whether he meets the criteria to run for office there, NBC News added. Current Gov. Bill Lee (R) is ineligible for reelection, opening up the post for the 2026 election.