Pete Hegseth Reportedly Eyeing Tennessee Senate Seat as Impeachment Fears Mount

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly angling for an appointment to a Tennessee Senate seat to secure a political safe haven amid mounting efforts to impeach him. Reports indicate that Hegseth is eyeing the seat currently held by Tennessee’s Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn.

Blackburn is currently leading her race for Tennessee governor against Democratic rival Jerri Green. If she wins, she will vacate her Senate seat, which runs through January 2031.

Hegseth is reportedly urging Blackburn to appoint him to the vacancy if she wins the governorship, rather than waiting for Congress to act or for President Donald Trump to dismiss her.

Hegseth and his family moved to Tennessee in 2022 and lived there for three years before he took over the Pentagon.

Hegseth faces notable competition for the potential vacancy. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) is also actively seeking the appointment and has been heavily campaigning alongside Blackburn.

“[Hegseth] attended a University of Tennessee football game with Blackburn earlier this month. Next to them was Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN), who is also interested in being appointed to Blackburn’s seat,” Puck reported. “Burchett has spent his time campaigning for Blackburn in every county in the state, according to a person familiar with his intentions."

The report comes as congressional momentum to remove the self-proclaimed "Secretary of War" reaches a critical juncture ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on an impeachment resolution immediately after the midterms. Both Democrats and select Republicans have said they intend to push for his ouster.

In September, outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment, accusing Hegseth of abusing his office and executing hostilities in Iran without congressional authorization.

House Democrats, including Rep. Yassamin Ansari, have separately introduced articles citing alleged war crimes and reckless endangerment of U.S. service members during operations in Iran and the Caribbean.

"In all of this, Secretary Hegseth has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as secretary of defense and subversive of constitutional government... 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,” Massie said on the House floor.

"Trump is escalating a devastating, illegal war, threatening massive war crimes and targeting civilian infrastructure in Iran... Pete Hegseth is complicit. [He] has repeatedly violated his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution,” Ansari said.

Capitol Hill insiders note that some Senate Republicans hope Hegseth will resign or that Trump will fire him before a formal, potentially divisive Senate impeachment trial forces their hand.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Hegseth “the most unqualified so-called secretary of war in American history” and stated he “should be fired."