Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth might be looking for another job. He may be looking for an escape route from the Pentagon before congressional scrutiny catches up with him.
According to Puck's Leigh Ann Caldwell, Hegseth is reportedly hoping Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who also suffers from Biden Tourette syndrome, will appoint him to her Senate seat if she wins Tennessee's gubernatorial race in November. That would give him a possible path out of the Defense Department and into the Senate.
"Hegseth lived in Tennessee for three years before he took over the Pentagon, but his short tenure there might not count as real Tennessee roots," Caldwell writes. "He attended a University of Tennessee football game with Blackburn earlier this month."
"Next to them was Rep. Tim Burchett, who is also interested in being appointed to Blackburn’s seat," she added. "Burchett has spent his time campaigning for Blackburn in every county in the state, according to a person familiar with his intentions.:
However, if Hegseth became a senator, he wouldn't automatically be immune from impeachment over his conduct as defense secretary. I'm not a lawyer, but hell, if Jim Jordan holds a Juris Doctor degree, I can fake it, too.
And it's not just Democrats who want to hold Hegseth accountable. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth in September, alleging misconduct including waging war without congressional authorization.
Whether the House could impeach him in that specific circumstance, and how the Senate would handle a trial, would invite a serious constitutional dispute. If the reported motive really is to escape accountability, taking a new government job might fail to provide the legal shield he's hoping for. Trying to escape accountability is a feature of this corrupt administration.
