Report: Pete Hegseth considering running for US President in 2028
According to NBC, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has discussed the possibility of a 2028 presidential run with associates. While no official decision has been made, his recent political activities in key states have sparked significant speculation.
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has told close friends and associates that he is considering running for US President in 2028, NBC reported, citing two people familiar with the conversations. According to the network, Hegseth and his wife, Jennifer, have been discussing the possibility of a White House run for several months, although he has not yet made a decision or announced an official move.
Sources said that Hegseth believes he possesses some of the traits that made President Donald Trump popular among the MAGA movement. NBC Pentagon correspondent Courtney Kube described them as the ability to be "tough, defiant, and willing to talk about social issues." According to her, Hegseth believes his direct style and willingness to lead culture wars could provide him with a broad political base among Republican voters.
The report came after Hegseth appeared this month at the Iowa State Fair alongside Republican Congressman Zach Nunn, who is running for re-election. The Iowa State Fair has been considered a mandatory stop for decades for politicians considering a presidential run. The very participation of a sitting Secretary of Defense in a campaign event was considered unusual and immediately sparked speculation regarding his plans.
According to Kube, at the campaign events he attended this year, Hegseth was received "like a rock star." Besides the visit to Iowa, he appeared in May in Kentucky alongside Ed Gallrein, a candidate supported by Donald Trump. At both events, Hegseth frequently used messages identified with the right's culture wars, including his policy against the inclusion of transgender people in the military.
This is not the first report pointing to his ambitions. The Washington Post reported about a week and a half ago that sources familiar with his thinking believe he is considering running for president or another political office after his term in the administration ends.
However, just last week, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated:
"Secretary Hegseth is not running for president, and his primary priority is leading the Department of Defense. Any other speculation is silly."
The new NBC report, based on Hegseth's private conversations, stands in contrast to the categorical denial.
Hegseth, 46, has never held an elected office. Before his appointment to the Pentagon, he was a host on Fox News, and in 2012 he unsuccessfully tried to win the Republican nomination for the Senate in Minnesota. If he decides to run in 2028, he will have to leave his position in the administration. He may join a race in which Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are already considered two of the prominent Republican candidates to succeed Donald Trump.
