Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is considering running in the 2026 Tennessee gubernatorial race.
Two sources close to Hegseth told NBC News that the Defense Secretary is engaging in “serious” discussions about running for political office and his chances of winning. The sources both say discussions revolve around a potential bid at the governorship of Tennessee, where Hegseth lives. One source said these discussions happened in the last three weeks.
The Department of Defense prohibits employees from seeking elected office, so a gubernatorial bid would require Hegseth to resign from his federal post.
The Pentagon’s chief spokesman Sean Parnell denied the claims, saying that Hegseth’s “focus remains solely on serving under President Trump.”
“Fake news NBC is so desperate for attention, they are shopping around a made-up story… again. Only two options exist: either the ‘sources’ are imaginary or these reporters are getting punked. Secretary Hegseth’s focus remains solely on serving under President Trump and advancing the America First mission at the Department of Defense,” Parnell said in a statement.
According to NBC News, other sources close to Hegseth denied that he had plans to seek political office. One source said that Hegseth made it “very, very clear” as recently as last week that he didn’t plan to run for office.
Since his confirmation in January, Hegseth’s tenure at the Defense Department has seen its fair share of controversy. Scruting of the former Fox News host’s performance increased significantly after Hegseth and other Trump administration officials used the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss military plans, accidentally including a journalist in the chats.
NBC News reported that even if he decides to run, Hegseth likely doesn’t meet the requirements to run in Tennessee, which requires candidates to live in the state for seven years.
