President Donald Trump said on Monday that it was too early to discuss whether Pete Hegseth, the US Defence secretary, would run for president in 2028. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump responded to fresh discussion about Hegseth’s possible candidacy by saying it would be premature to talk about it now. He added that he believed Hegseth had been focused on his role and on the military. Trump Says It’s Too Early for 2028Trump told reporters that the matter should not be considered at this stage. He said the immediate priority was the next election cycle, adding that the country needed to get through the midterms first. He also indicated that, in his view, many people were contemplating a range of political possibilities, without being publicly visible. Trump said he believed Hegseth’s attention remained on the armed forces and on looking after service members. NBC Report and Hegseth’s DenialThe comments came after NBC News reported over the weekend that Hegseth was considering the possibility of running for president in 2028. Hegseth later rejected the report. In a post on the social media platform X, he said the claim was “100% false”. He said that he had told NBC the report was incorrect, and that the outlet had relied on anonymous “sources”. Hegseth also wrote that his only job was to “Make @DeptofWar Great Again”, before ending the post with “Carry on Patriots, and enjoy your Friday night”. Other Potential 2028 ContendersTrump’s remarks were made as a number of his allies have been mentioned in connection with potential 2028 campaigns. Those names include Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump has also previously addressed questions about other figures. Last week, he was asked about the possibility of Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas who once ran against him for the presidency but later became an ally, pursuing a 2028 bid. In that exchange, Trump praised Cruz, saying he might choose to run and describing him as a talented figure. Join the discussion? 1 September 2026
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