Hegseth not even under consideration for Senate role as his possible administration escape hatch closes: report - The Independent
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Embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly not being considered for an upcoming vacant Senate seat that could have offered him a potential escape route from the Trump administration as questions swirl over his future.
The prospect of Hegseth potentially filling a soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat in Tennessee comes as the Pentagon chief is under mounting scrutiny for his role in pushing the war in Iran — a move that contributed to President Donald Trump and the Republicans losing control of Congress.
Democrats have threatened to bring impeachment proceedings against Hegseth once they take control of the House in January.
But Tennessee Governor-elect Marsha Blackburn, a Republican who will resign from her Senate role in January when she is sworn in to the state’s highest office, dismissed the rumor of Hegseth filling the seat as “nothing more than Washington D.C. spin,” The Washington Post reports. As governor, Blackburn will appoint her successor when she takes office - and it probably won’t be Hegseth.
“The Blackburn team is focused on the transition, not entertaining baseless speculation. Dc [sic] won't pick the next senator,” a source close to Blackburn told the Post.
Trump has not spoken to Blackburn about Hegseth filling the seat, according to the newspaper. The president said Wednesday that he thought Hegseth “would be very popular if he did that” but said he had not heard any plans about the move.
Hegseth said he was not interested in the role, according to the Post, citing a person close to the defense secretary.
The former Fox News host has a home near Nashville and strategists have reportedly been testing his political viability in Tennessee since July 2025. A poll about his potential for a governor’s bid was sent out to Republican voters in the Volunteer state, asking whether they would support him. Hegseth did not hire the strategist or pay for the polling, the Post noted.
Following the disastrous midterm election result for the Trump administration, and as rumors swirled about whether Hegseth would be the first Cabinet head to roll, he posted a defiant video statement Thursday vowing “not to back down.” The Iran war proved to be a major drag for Republicans, putting Hegseth’s future in question.
“Just like the president, we don't back down, and that especially applies now. The next few months and years are critical for our department and our republic,” Hegseth said on the steps of the Pentagon Thursday. “This is about the president's ‘America First’ agenda. This is about our department's ‘Peace Through Strength’ agenda.”
His team has staged what national security correspondents described as a “PR blitz” amid the mounting pressure. The Pentagon’s comms team posted defiant pictures of their boss on social media Thursday, captioned: “STAND. FIGHT. DEFEND THE REPUBLIC.”
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s spokesman, said 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.”
While Trump was quick to fire his former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi for public screw-ups in their respective departments, Hegseth survived the “Signalgate” scandal early on in his tenure at the Pentagon.
A Pentagon watchdog ruled last year that he jeopardized sensitive military information that could have endangered the lives of U.S. service members when he shared sensitive details about a military operation in Yemen in a Signal group chat, which inadvertently included a journalist.
When asked by reporters Wednesday whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, Trump said, “No. I think he’s doing a very good job.”
“I have every intention to keep him,” the president told ABC News Thursday, but acknowledged he was receiving calls about Hegseth. “I get these calls, you know, about him. I don't understand why,” Trump reportedly said.
Outgoing GOP Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie has threatened to impeach Hegseth unless he resigns. “If Trump’s going to replace appointees like Hegseth, he should do it while he can still get the replacements confirmed in the Senate,” Massie posted on X Thursday.
“Also, my Hegseth impeachment resolution is a much gentler version of what’s coming when Dem’s control Congress. They’ll have hearings & trials.”
