Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's unusual stop along the campaign trail in the Kentucky congressional race might signal he could be considering a run for president in 2028, an analyst reported on Monday.
Associated Press White House reporter Michelle Price told CNN anchor Dana Bash and a panel of political experts that Hegseth's speech supporting President Donald Trump-endorsed candidate Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL challenging Trump's foe Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), could reveal more about Hegseth's political future.
Massie has said that Trump and his administration, whose approval ratings have plummeted amid the Iran war and rising costs of living, were taking extreme measures to try to unseat him in his race for re-election.
"They're desperate. That's why they're sending the secretary of war to my district tomorrow," Massie told ABC News on Sunday. "That's why the president is losing sleep and tweeting about this. That's why AIPAC has dumped another $3 million into my race this weekend. It's because they're panicked and they really haven't been able to gain a lead in this race."
Price described why there could be more behind Hegseth's visit.
"The congressman says desperate. One man'sdesperate is another isdetermined. This is personal," Price said. "This has been going on a longtime. Remember that Congressman Massie actually endorsed Ron DeSantis in the 2024 primary. Hewas one of the few congressmento do that. So there's alot here. It wasn't just oneissue that kind of set them upfor this conflict."
"What's interesting iswe've also heard that Pete Hegseth might be potentiallyinterested in running forpresident," Price added. "This is a veryinteresting kind of campaigndebut, and I do wonder if onsome level, we know that thepresident likes to kind of testhow people are on the campaigntrail. If we're going to seesome of that Hegseth campaignstyle today."