Hegseth Weighs 2028 White House Bid, Insiders Say
Hegseth Weighs 2028 White House Bid, Insiders Say
The News
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has told close friends and associates that he is considering a run for president in 2028, NBC News reported Friday.
Two people familiar with the conversations told NBC that Hegseth has been discussing the idea privately.
The Pentagon has dismissed the speculation as "foolish."
Timeline
Earlier this month, Hegseth traveled to the Iowa State Fair to campaign for Rep. Zach Nunn — a stop that drew fresh attention to his political ambitions, according to Mediaite.
NBC News reports that Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer, have floated the idea of a presidential run over the past few months, believing he has some of the same attributes that made Donald Trump popular.
Reactions
The Pentagon publicly waved off the talk, calling the speculation "foolish" — a denial that, as Raw Story noted, sits awkwardly against the private conversations described by the insiders NBC spoke to.
Hegseth has not publicly announced or confirmed any campaign.
What's Next
Nothing is official. The reporting describes private conversations, not a campaign — and a sitting Defense secretary weighing a White House bid would face immediate questions about whether Pentagon business and political travel are being kept apart.
Watch for two things: whether Hegseth keeps showing up in early states like Iowa, and whether the Pentagon's denial hardens or quietly changes.
More
The Frank is reporting what the sources support: NBC News's account of private conversations, the Pentagon's public dismissal, and Hegseth's Iowa State Fair appearance for Nunn. Everything else about a 2028 Hegseth candidacy is speculation.
Colleges Condemn Students Mocking Kirk Assassination Anniversary
Charleston White Arrested Again on Florida Battery Charge
Sep 13, 2026
Border Patrol Rescues MS NOW Crew in Desert
Sep 13, 2026
Supreme Court Restores Missouri's Old House Map
Sep 13, 2026
Alaska Drops Felony Voter Charges Against Samoans
Sep 13, 2026
Trespasser Breaches Harris' Malibu Estate; No Arrest
Sep 12, 2026
Hegseth Pressed Downed Airmen Into 60 Minutes
Sep 12, 2026
Houthis Seize Mokha, Choking Saudi Oil Exports
Sep 12, 2026
Altman Rules Out OpenAI IPO This Year
Sep 12, 2026
Jury Acquits Lil Durk in Murder-for-Hire Case
Sep 12, 2026
Judge: Trump Broke Law Halving FEMA Staff
Sep 12, 2026
Maher Calls Democrats' Gaza Genocide Claim a Lie
Sep 12, 2026
Blizzard Revives StarCraft, Sends Diablo to Netflix
Sep 12, 2026
Trump's Queens Childhood Home Sells for $1.93M
Sep 12, 2026
Scientists Find New Virus in Tick Invading US
Sep 12, 2026
Britain Bans Settlement Imports; US States Threaten Payback
Sep 12, 2026
Prison Fire Kills 7 as Kurds Protest Killing
Sep 12, 2026
Kosovo Rallies for Ex-President Before Hague Verdict
Sep 12, 2026
Cruz Booed at GameDay Over College Sports Bill
Sep 12, 2026
Blast Hits Bulgarian Arms Plant Supplying Ukraine
Sep 12, 2026
Sep 13, 2026