That would require him to step down as Pentagon chief, teeing up a major leadership change, albeit one that may be welcomed by some in the Department of Defense, where Hegseth’s purported paranoia and erratic moves have rankled White House officials and alienated staffers. It has all been enough that his allies apparently staged an intervention.

Can Defense Department employees run for political office? No, because the Defense Department prohibits civilian employees from running for political office under the Hatch Act, a

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is weighing his options for a path out of Donald Trump's administration as controversies continue to plague his short stint as the head of the United States Armed Forces,