Topline
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has denied reports he’s considering a tally astatine the Oval Office successful 2028, calling the declare “100% false” and removing himself from a section of speculative candidates that includes Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and erstwhile Fox News big Tucker Carlson.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
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Key Facts
Hegseth, who was a Fox News big earlier becoming caput of defense, emphatically denied the NBC study connected X and said he told the outlet he wasn’t running, “but they conscionable dishonesty w/ anonymous ‘sources.’”
The report, published Friday, claimed he’d discussed a imaginable White House tally pinch adjacent friends and associates and cited a caller quality astatine the Iowa State Fair arsenic grounds (he was technically location to run for Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa).
No awesome candidates person officially declared their 2028 statesmanlike campaigns, but Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has publically acknowledged his liking successful moving and different apical contenders see Vance and Rubio.
Key background
Hegseth has tally for agency erstwhile before, launching a short-lived legislature bid successful 2012. He sought the Republican information for the U.S. Senate successful Minnesota, but yet withdrew from the superior aft the authorities statement convention. He joined Fox News arsenic a contributor successful 2014 and emerged arsenic a salient sound successful conservatism. He was nominated by Trump to lead the Department of Defense successful 2024 and has served successful the domiciled since early 2025.
TANGENT
Vance is favored successful betting likelihood to beryllium the adjacent Republican nominee, pinch the Kalshi prediction marketplace showing a 44% chance, followed by Rubio pinch a 19% chance. No different campaigner is supra 5% successful Kalshi odds. Vance has said he will determine connected his early aft the midterms, while Rubio has said he will endorse Vance if the vice president seeks the 2028 GOP statesmanlike nomination. Observers person noted seemingly diverging philosophies betwixt the 2 that could go a awesome constituent of contention successful a 2028 primary, pinch Vance tapping into a much populist guidelines skeptical of overseas involution and Rubio harkening backmost to a much neo-conservative constitution that dominated Republican authorities earlier Trump’s first GOP statesmanlike campaign.
further reading
ForbesTop Army General Fired After Disagreement Over Kid Rock Helicopter Probe, Report Says—As Vacancies Mount Under HegsethBy Sara Dorn
ForbesStars And Stripes Editor Says He’s Worried About Military Censorship—After Pentagon Fires Him For ‘Insubordination’By Mary Whitfill Roeloffs
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