The Pentagon’s chief spokesman Sean Parnell denied that Hegseth has ambitions of political office, and said the former Fox News host’s focus “remains solely on serving under President Trump.” Parnell said the sources are either “imaginary” or the news station was “getting punked.”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth privately discussed running for political office in Tennessee next year, according to a report. Two people who said they spoke directly with Hegseth about the matter told NBC News that the conversations focused on potential bids for elected office,

After barely six months of leading the nation’s military, embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants to hang it up and run for office. NBC News sources have reported that Hegseth has privately considered running for governor in his home state of Tennessee next year.