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Veterans & National Security · Report · File No. 261031-035

Hegseth reportedly eyes Blackburn's Senate seat as impeachment push builds

Puck reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants Tennessee's Senate seat if Sen. Marsha Blackburn wins the governor's race. The Pentagon calls that gossip, but it comes as an impeachment vote looms over his Iran war leadership.

By the National Desk · · 2 min read

Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work

Pete Hegseth
Pete Hegseth. Photo: U.S. Department of Defense, Public domain

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly hoping for a soft landing in the U.S. Senate. The political outlet Puck reported on Sunday, Oct. 25, that he is "angling" for Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, to appoint him to her seat if she wins the governor's race 1. Blackburn is likely to win, according to HuffPost's summary of the report 1.

We could not read Puck's original story. This brief relies on HuffPost's and the International Business Times' accounts of it. The claim rests on anonymous sourcing and is unconfirmed. A source close to the administration said Hegseth is "absolutely interested," according to the International Business Times 2.

The Pentagon's response

Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson denied it. She told HuffPost on Monday that the reports are [q0]. She added that Hegseth's "singular priority" is leading the War Department and carrying out the President's agenda 1.

Chief spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth's singular focus is leading the War Department. He called other speculation "foolish" 2.

From Channel GOPImpeachment vote: Why Republicans avoided the issueHakeem Jeffries · 1.4K plays · captioned, with the source named

Why the timing matters

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has filed an impeachment resolution against Hegseth. The House is expected to vote on it after the election, and the vote is expected to be close 1. Impeachment is the House's formal step to charge an official with misconduct.

The resolution accuses Hegseth of waging war against Iran without congressional approval and without an imminent threat. It also accuses him of ignoring laws meant to minimize civilian casualties and of using unauthorized lethal force on suspected drug-smuggling boats 1. These are allegations in a resolution. The House has not voted on them.

Puck's Leigh Ann Caldwell reported that some senators "foresee a pathway" for Hegseth to step down 1. Some Republicans hope Trump could dismiss him before impeachment moves forward 12.

What Democrats are saying

Semafor reported earlier this month that Democrats have been "aligning to call for the defense secretary's ouster or resignation," according to HuffPost 1. Joel Payne, a spokesperson for the liberal group MoveOn, said impeachment is one way to hold officials accountable 1.

Former Rep. Max Rose, a Democrat, predicted that Trump will fire Hegseth the day after the midterms. He compared it to President George W. Bush's November 2006 announcement that Donald Rumsfeld would leave after Republican losses 2. Rose's remarks are a prediction. Trump has made no such decision, the article notes 2.

nothing more than beltway gossip by anonymous sources
Kingsley Wilson, Pentagon press secretary1

What happens next

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican, is also reportedly interested in the Senate seat 1. Hegseth moved his family to Middle Tennessee in 2022, and on Oct. 17 he attended a University of Tennessee football game with Blackburn and Burchett 2.

That matters because a Senate seat would be a safe place for a Cabinet member under fire. It would also mean the official who led the Iran war could leave the Pentagon with a new job rather than a reckoning.

The Record

  1. Hegseth moved his family to Middle Tennessee in 2022 2.
  2. Hegseth attended a University of Tennessee football game with Blackburn and Rep. Tim Burchett 2.
  3. Puck reported Hegseth is angling for Blackburn's Senate seat if she becomes governor 12.
  4. Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson called the report "beltway gossip by anonymous sources" 1.

Sources

  1. HuffPost, “Pete Hegseth Reportedly Angling For Blackburn's Senate Seat To Avoid Impeachment” (2026-10-26). huffpost.com/entry/pete-hegseth-marsha-blackburn-senate-avoi
  2. International Business Times, “Hegseth Reportedly Seeks Marsha Blackburn's Senate Seat to Avoid Impeachment Trial” (2026-10-26). ibtimes.co.uk/pete-hegseth-tennessee-senate-seat-blackburn-g

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