Pete Hegseth being tested as Trump replacement with new 'campaign debut': expert

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's desperate is another is determined. This is personal," Price said. "This has been going on a long time. Remember that Congressman Massie actually endorsed Ron DeSantis in the 2024 primary. He was one of the few congressmen to do that. So there's a lot here. It wasn't just one issue that kind of set them up for this conflict."

"What's interesting is we've also heard that Pete Hegseth might be potentially interested in running for president," Price added. "This is a very interesting kind of campaign debut, and I do wonder if on some level, we know that the president likes to kind of test how people are on the campaign trail. If we're going to see some of that Hegseth campaign style today."