Pete Hegseth Has Had 'Serious' Talks About A Run For Office Far From Pentagon: Report

The Pentagon vigorously disputed NBC News' article as a "made up story."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly has had “serious” discussions about running for governor in Tennessee, and he would have to surrender his Cabinet gig to do so.

NBC News on Tuesday cited two people who spoke with the beleaguered military leader about the possibility. One said they talked about eligibility standards and Hegseth’s chances of winning; the other said they covered the “realities” of a campaign.

Both said it was unclear to them whether he would actually give it a go. 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.”

“Fake news NBC is so desperate for attention, they are shopping around a made up story … again,” spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement. “Only two options exist: either the ‘sources’ are imaginary or these reporters are getting punked.”