--- title: Trump Breaks Silence on Talk of Hegseth Running for President in 2028 description: Trump has shown reluctance in naming his successor, but he previously expressed interest in a potential ticket boasting Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/09/01/trump-response-hegseth-run-for-president-2028-top-contenders/ author: Callum Sutherland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-09-01T15:13:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-09-01T20:42:33.546Z article:section: Politics og:title: 'He's Doing a Fantastic Job': Trump Responds to Talk of Hegseth Running for President in 2028 og:description: Trump has shown reluctance in naming his successor, but he previously expressed interest in a potential ticket boasting Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/09/01/trump-response-hegseth-run-for-president-2028-top-contenders/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d5d8f2de27ae418/6a96b2afb0087879a74270b8/trump-hegseth-2028-sep1.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: trump-hegseth-2028-sep1.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 'He's Doing a Fantastic Job': Trump Responds to Talk of Hegseth Running for President in 2028 twitter:description: Trump has shown reluctance in naming his successor, but he previously expressed interest in a potential ticket boasting Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2d5d8f2de27ae418/6a96b2afb0087879a74270b8/trump-hegseth-2028-sep1.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'He's Doing a Fantastic Job': Trump Responds to Talk of Hegseth Running for President in 2028 > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Sep 1, 2026 3:13 PM UTC  President Donald Trump alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a meeting at Camp David on July 31, 2026. President Donald Trump alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a meeting at Camp David on July 31, 2026. Aaron Schwartz—Getty Images by [Callum Sutherland](https://time.com/author/callum-sutherland/) ## Callum Sutherland Reporter Sep 1, 2026 3:13 PM UTC President [Donald Trump](https://time.com/7281485/is-trump-seeking-a-third-term-rally-comments-election-denial/) has responded to talk that his Defense Secretary [Pete Hegseth](https://time.com/article/2026/04/29/in-hostile-hearing-democrats-accuse-hegseth-of-misleading-trump-and-country-on-iran-war-progress/) is considering a presidential run in 2028. “I think he's doing a fantastic job, but it's very early to talk about that,” Trump [said](https://youtu.be/uyeCoZ5Yego?t=2788) Monday when asked if he would support Hegseth in such an event. “We have to get through the [midterms](https://time.com/article/2026/07/01/trump-republican-midterm-convention-great-american-comeback/) first, and I think he's a very good guy.” Trump went on to suggest “there's a lot of people considering” running that reporters “don’t know about.” “Right now, all \[Hegseth\] loves is, and all he cares about is, the military and taking care of the military,” Trump concluded, referencing the [Iran war,](https://time.com/article/2026/08/31/us-iran-strikes-larak-island/) which surpassed the six-month mark last week. NBC [reported](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2028-election/pete-hegseth-talking-possible-run-president-2028-sources-say-rcna594891) Friday that Hegseth was talking about a possible run for President in 2028 and had told close friends and associates of such plans, citing two sources familiar with the matter. Hegseth later [called](https://x.com/PeteHegseth/status/2093475499242934557) the reporting “100% false” and insisted his “only job” is to “make[ the Department of War](https://x.com/DeptofWar) great again.” Hegseth has been under the [spotlight ](https://time.com/article/2026/08/14/uss-abraham-lincoln-conditions-trump-iran-war/)in recent months, amid [mounting criticism](https://time.com/article/2026/07/23/war-powers-resolution-iran-trump-senate-house-republicans/) from lawmakers over the duration and cost of the Iran war. He’s also facing upheaval in his department. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned from his position Monday, following [reported disagreements with Hegseth](https://www.politico.com/news/2026/08/31/army-secretary-resigns-01058326). His departure follows that of other key figures, such as former Army chief of staff Gen. Randy George, who [left](https://x.com/SeanParnellASW/status/2039812664902271107) his position in April, [Gen. Christopher Donahue,](https://apnews.com/article/trump-pentagon-hegseth-christopher-donahue-afghanistan-9ade7033e3a9e0c5e41acb5dcdb25133) the former commander for the U.S. Army in Europe and Africa, who left his in June after just 18 months in the job. Hegseth, meanwhile, is just the latest senior Trump Administration official to be linked with a Presidential bid for 2028. ### Trump has previously shown support for a Vance-Rubio ticket Trump has shown reluctance in naming his successor, but he has expressed interest in a potential ticket boasting his [Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio](https://time.com/article/2026/05/12/vance-rubio-2028-presidential-ticket-trump-comments/). During a White House event in May, Trump raised the question of the Republican nomination. “Who’s it going to be? Is it gonna be J.D. \[Vance\]? Is it gonna be somebody else? I don’t know,” he said. Trump proceeded to pit Vance and Rubio against one another, asking the crowd to show their support for who they liked. “By the way, I do believe that's a dream team, but these are minor details,” the President said, notably stopping short of endorsing either member of his Administration. “That does not mean you have my endorsement under any circumstance,” he emphasized, adding that he thinks it “sounds like a presidential candidate and vice presidential candidate." Weeks later, Trump again pointed towards a potential ticket for Vance and Rubio. “They’re both great, I like them both. And I like them together,” he [said](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLnB5l1PxCY) on the _New York Post_’s political podcast _Pod Force One_. Recent polling suggest that the Vice President and Secretary of State are the frontrunners to lead the Republican ticket. A collection of polls published by the [_New York Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/polls/president-republican-primary-polls-2028.html), looking at the share of support for each candidate in the 15 most recent polls, shows Vance in the lead, with Rubio coming in second. The most recent poll cited, published by Quantus Insights on Aug. 28, showed Vance held 41% of total support, with Rubio holding 29% and Donald Trump Jr. coming in at 9%. [Nikki Haley](https://time.com/6552240/nikki-haley-trump-iowa-republican-debate/), the former South Carolina Governor who launched a failed 2024 presidential bid, and Florida’s Gov. [Ron DeSantis](https://time.com/6305193/ron-desantis-interview-education-parents-2024/) were considered as outsiders in the collection of polls. ### Trump’s third term ambitions Trump has repeatedly teased [running for an unprecedented third term](https://time.com/7281485/is-trump-seeking-a-third-term-rally-comments-election-denial/) in 2028—something which the Constitution explicitly prohibits. When asked about the possibility of a third term, Trump [told](https://time.com/7280114/donald-trump-2025-interview-transcript/) TIME in April last year: “I'd rather not discuss that now, but as you know, there are some loopholes that have been discussed that are well known.” His rhetoric gained further traction when the [Trump Store started selling](https://www.trumpstore.com/trump-2028-hat) "Trump 2028" merchandise. Trump has since [admitted](https://time.com/7307562/trump-third-term-constitution/) he “probably” won’t pursue a third term, despite his ambitions. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/01/trump-response-hegseth-run-for-president-2028-top-contenders/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/09/01/trump-response-hegseth-run-for-president-2028-top-contenders/"},"headline":"'He's Doing a Fantastic Job': Trump Responds to Talk of Hegseth Running for President in 2028","datePublished":"2026-09-01T15:13:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-09-01T20:42:33.546Z","description":"Trump has shown reluctance in naming his successor, but he previously expressed interest in a potential ticket boasting Vice President J.D. 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