Civilian employees of the Defense Department are not allowed to run for office, so Hegseth would have to resign before entering any race. The Pentagon pushed back hard at the report, which included another source saying Hegseth indicated that any exit was “off the table.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has privately discussed running for public office next year, according to two people who have spoken directly with him. NBC News National Security Reporter Gordon Lubold dives into his exclusive reporting about Hegseth’s potential bid for Tennessee governor.