Hegseth reportedly not in line for Tennessee Senate seat as impeachment talk builds

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not being considered to fill Tennessee's open Senate seat, according to an Associated Press report that cited a person familiar with the matter ¹². The person, who discussed private conversations on condition of anonymity, dismissed speculation about appointing Hegseth to the seat as "baseless chatter" ¹.

The seat is opening because Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, won the governor's race on Tuesday ². Blackburn has indicated she plans to keep the Senate seat until she is sworn in as governor in January, which would let her appoint her own replacement to serve out the term ending in January 2031 ². The person said Blackburn is focused on her transition to the governor's office ¹.

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Hegseth, a former Army National Guard major, had been campaigning behind the scenes for the post, The Hill previously reported ¹. Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he was not considering replacing Hegseth, saying he was "doing a very good job," but that Hegseth would be "very popular" if he filled Blackburn's seat ¹.

The report follows two sources telling The Hill on Thursday that Trump has been asking advisers and allies whether Hegseth's standing after the midterms is secure ¹. One source said Hegseth is in "a lot of trouble," while the other said it was not clear how much his position was in jeopardy ¹. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters ¹.

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Impeachment push renewed

Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September ². Massie said at the time that "by engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable" ². The House is expected to return next week, and Massie said in a social media post on Thursday that his "Hegseth impeachment resolution is a much gentler version of what's coming when Dem's control Congress" ².

Hegseth released a video on social media Thursday acknowledging the impeachment threat and arguing it would be "all about the politics of personal destruction" and that "won't work with me. You can rest assured of that" ². After the video, scores of political appointees within the Pentagon posted images of Hegseth with the words "Stand. Fight. Defend the Republic" ².

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Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that "despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats," Hegseth is "100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump's term in office" ². Parnell also said the Pentagon "has followed the law" and Hegseth "will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists" ².

What happens next

Other Tennessee politicians interested in the seat include Reps. Tim Burchett and Chuck Fleischmann, former Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and former CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger ¹. Burchett, who won reelection Tuesday, told the AP he wants to be considered for the seat when Blackburn becomes governor in January ².

A senior Pentagon official said that if Hegseth left the Pentagon, the process of replacing him would not be practical, citing the difficulty of finding a replacement who could be confirmed by the Senate during the lame-duck session before Democrats take control of the chamber ¹. With a Democratic-led Senate that will control at least 54 seats next year, Trump is certain to face steep hurdles confirming high-profile picks ². Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, told the AP that Democrats are "not going to allow any crappy nominees" to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, the broader federal judiciary or to the Cabinet ².

That matters because the fight over Hegseth's future is now tangled with the fight over who fills a Senate seat. The report that he is not in line for the seat removes one soft landing as impeachment talk builds.

The Record

1. Sep 1, 2026Rep. Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September ².
2. Nov 3, 2026Sen. Marsha Blackburn won Tennessee's governor's race ².
3. Nov 4, 2026Trump told reporters he was not considering replacing Hegseth and said Hegseth was 'doing a very good job' ¹.
4. Nov 5, 2026Hegseth released a video acknowledging the impeachment threat ².

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<h2>Hegseth reportedly not in line for Tennessee Senate seat as impeachment talk builds</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Capitol Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/hegseth-reportedly-not-in-line-for-tennessee-senate-seat-as-impeachment-talk-builds">The GOP Files</a> on Thursday, November 5, 2026.</em></p> <p>Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not being considered to fill Tennessee&#39;s open Senate seat, according to an Associated Press report that cited a person familiar with the matter . The person, who discussed private conversations on condition of anonymity, dismissed speculation about appointing Hegseth to the seat as &quot;baseless chatter&quot; .</p> <p>The seat is opening because Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, won the governor&#39;s race on Tuesday . Blackburn has indicated she plans to keep the Senate seat until she is sworn in as governor in January, which would let her appoint her own replacement to serve out the term ending in January 2031 . The person said Blackburn is focused on her transition to the governor&#39;s office .</p> <p>Hegseth, a former Army National Guard major, had been campaigning behind the scenes for the post, The Hill previously reported . Trump told reporters on Wednesday that he was not considering replacing Hegseth, saying he was &quot;doing a very good job,&quot; but that Hegseth would be &quot;very popular&quot; if he filled Blackburn&#39;s seat .</p> <p>The report follows two sources telling The Hill on Thursday that Trump has been asking advisers and allies whether Hegseth&#39;s standing after the midterms is secure . One source said Hegseth is in &quot;a lot of trouble,&quot; while the other said it was not clear how much his position was in jeopardy . Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters .</p> <h2>Impeachment push renewed</h2> <p>Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September . Massie said at the time that &quot;by engaging in hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, Secretary Hegseth is breaking the law and must be held accountable&quot; . The House is expected to return next week, and Massie said in a social media post on Thursday that his &quot;Hegseth impeachment resolution is a much gentler version of what&#39;s coming when Dem&#39;s control Congress&quot; .</p> <p>Hegseth released a video on social media Thursday acknowledging the impeachment threat and arguing it would be &quot;all about the politics of personal destruction&quot; and that &quot;won&#39;t work with me. You can rest assured of that&quot; . After the video, scores of political appointees within the Pentagon posted images of Hegseth with the words &quot;Stand. Fight. Defend the Republic&quot; .</p> <p>Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that &quot;despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats,&quot; Hegseth is &quot;100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump&#39;s term in office&quot; . Parnell also said the Pentagon &quot;has followed the law&quot; and Hegseth &quot;will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists&quot; .</p> <h2>What happens next</h2> <p>Other Tennessee politicians interested in the seat include Reps. Tim Burchett and Chuck Fleischmann, former Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and former CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger . Burchett, who won reelection Tuesday, told the AP he wants to be considered for the seat when Blackburn becomes governor in January .</p> <p>A senior Pentagon official said that if Hegseth left the Pentagon, the process of replacing him would not be practical, citing the difficulty of finding a replacement who could be confirmed by the Senate during the lame-duck session before Democrats take control of the chamber . With a Democratic-led Senate that will control at least 54 seats next year, Trump is certain to face steep hurdles confirming high-profile picks . Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, told the AP that Democrats are &quot;not going to allow any crappy nominees&quot; to be confirmed to the Supreme Court, the broader federal judiciary or to the Cabinet .</p> <p>That matters because the fight over Hegseth&#39;s future is now tangled with the fight over who fills a Senate seat. The report that he is not in line for the seat removes one soft landing as impeachment talk builds.</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/hegseth-reportedly-not-in-line-for-tennessee-senate-seat-as-impeachment-talk-builds">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/hegseth-reportedly-not-in-line-for-tennessee-senate-seat-as-impeachment-talk-builds.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. The Hill, “Hegseth not in consideration for Tennessee Senate: Report” (2026-11-06). thehill.com/policy/defense/6203115-hegseth-tennessee-senate-
2. AP News, “Hegseth is not under consideration as jockeying begins for Tennessee Senate seat, AP source says” (2026-11-05). apnews.com/article/hegseth-senate-seat-tennessee-bfe5baf0dd3

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