Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth privately discussed running for political office in Tennessee next year, according to a report. Two people who said they spoke directly with Hegseth about the matter told NBC News that the conversations focused on potential bids for elected office,

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.