Hegseth reportedly eyes Senate seat as impeachment pressure builds

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is angling to be appointed to Sen. Marsha Blackburn's seat, partly to avoid possible impeachment, Puck reported on Sunday. Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, is likely to win the governor's race next week and could then fill her seat for the term ending in January 2031. Hegseth's family moved to Tennessee in 2022. On October 17 he sat beside Blackburn and Rep. Tim Burchett, who is also reportedly interested in the seat, at a University of Tennessee football game. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) filed an impeachment resolution accusing Hegseth of waging war on Iran without congressional approval, disregarding laws on civilian casualties and using unauthorized lethal force on suspected drug-smuggling boats. The House is expected to vote after the elections, in a vote expected to be close. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats will run Hegseth out of town if they win the majority in November and President Trump does not remove him first.

Right-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while left-leaning and alternative outlets had. The left-leaning New Republic and HuffPost both lead with the Puck report and Massie's impeachment effort. The New Republic's headline frames the Senate bid as a way to avoid being fired. It lists criticisms: firings of senior military leaders, the Signalgate chat and depleted missile stockpiles. It also cites a Telegraph report of anonymous Pentagon officials ready to leak. HuffPost instead details Massie's charges and the expected close vote. It adds Semafor's report on Democrats, MoveOn spokesperson Joel Payne, and some Republicans' hope that Trump dismisses Hegseth first. The Hill, the alternative outlet, leads differently, with Jeffries on MS NOW and the Democratic midterm pledge.