Trump Cools Hegseth 2028 Talk: 'Very Early'
Trump Cools Hegseth 2028 Talk: 'Very Early'
The News
President Trump declined on Monday to endorse a 2028 presidential run by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, praising his performance but telling the Washington Examiner in the Oval Office that "it's very early to talk about that."
"I think he's doing a fantastic job, but it's very early to talk about that," Trump said. "We have to get through the midterms, and I think he's a very good guy. But I'll bet there's a lot of people considering it that you don't know about … you have a lot of people."
The answer stopped short of tamping the idea down — and, as The Independent noted, it signaled that Trump is not publicly anointing Vice President JD Vance, the assumed successor, either.
Timeline
Earlier this year, Hegseth campaigned against Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) in Kentucky's Republican primary — unusually partisan activity for a Pentagon chief, the Washington Examiner reported.
This month, Hegseth appeared in Iowa to campaign for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA), a two-term lawmaker in a battleground district.
NBC News reported that Hegseth has floated a White House bid to several close friends and associates, citing two people familiar with the conversations.
Hegseth dismissed the reporting in a social media post, calling the speculation "100% false" and saying his only focus was to "Make @DeptofWar Great Again."
On Aug. 28, The New York Times reported that Hegseth is blocking the promotions of four Army officers, apparently in violation of the military's promotion system.
On Saturday, retired Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling criticized the idea of a Hegseth candidacy on MS NOW's "The Weekend."
On Monday, Trump was asked about the 2028 talk in the Oval Office and gave his non-answer.
Reactions
Trump used the question to praise Hegseth's handling of the war with Iran, which reignited this week. "He's done a great job. And right now, all he loves is and all he cares about is the military and taking care of the military," Trump said. "And we went into Venezuela, we won. We went into Iran, and we're beating the hell out of them, and doing a good job, yeah."
Bob Vander Plaats, the influential Iowa evangelical leader who heads the Family Leader, told the Washington Examiner that Hegseth's "ceiling is as high as he wants it to be."
Hertling was blunt on the other side. "I think it would take a whole lot of arrogance and hubris for anyone that has had some of the challenges he's had in an element of government to say, 'Okay, now I'm going to run for president,'" he said, adding that Hegseth "just doesn't have, in my view, the credentials or the capability for running for the highest office in the land."
Hertling, a former Army commander who says he has sat on promotion boards, said the blocked promotions are "roiling the morale" of the senior ranks and that "it is not within, truthfully, the authority of Secretary Hegseth to do this."
What's Next
Trump put the midterms first: he said the party has to "get through the midterms" before 2028 talk is worth having. The elections are this November.
Hegseth has denied interest in running, so any change would have to come from him — while his campaign-trail schedule for House Republicans keeps the speculation alive.
The dispute over the four blocked Army promotions remains open, with the Times reporting the holds appear to conflict with a promotion system meant to be apolitical and merit-based.
More
Hegseth is not the only Republican circling 2028. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has signaled interest and has said the GOP is not sold on Vance's inevitability, according to the Washington Examiner.
Vance remains the most likely Republican to win Trump's backing, The Independent reported, in part because of his alliance with Donald Trump Jr., who has supported Vance since his 2022 Senate run.
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