Hegseth’s job in doubt after midterm losses as Trump says he intends to keep him

War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s job is in doubt after the Republicans’ massive midterm losses, with some in the party blaming the Iran war, but President Donald Trump said Nov. 5 that he plans to keep Hegseth in his role.

“I have every intention to keep him,” Trump told ABC News. He said he gets calls about Hegseth and does not understand why. In the President’s opinion, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who is pushing to impeach Hegseth, is “a very bad guy.”

At the same time, Trump acknowledged the war contributed to the election losses and said a replacement would be easier to confirm if it happens before Democrats take control of Congress in January. Democrats swept the House and the Senate in the Nov. 3 elections and have said they may investigate Hegseth.

Anonymous sources have been less certain about Hegseth’s future. 

“Knives are definitely out for him among senior West Wing staff,” a source close to the White House told the New York Post, though the source said his ouster is not a foregone conclusion. 

A different Trump insider said the President is asking around for input, the paper wrote, and Hegseth has ruled out leaving voluntarily for the Senate seat being vacated by Tennessee Gov.-elect Marsha Blackburn. 

Fox News quoted a former White House staffer as saying Hegseth is “on the chopping block,” while a White House official told the outlet that Trump would hold him accountable during the lame-duck session. Many Republicans blame Hegseth for helping persuade Trump to attack Iran without an exit strategy, CNN reported, and a person close to Hegseth said he expects to stay and is prepared to fight impeachment.

As Zeale News previously reported, Vice President JD Vance said in a lengthy Nov. 4 X post, “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night. If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so.” 

Rep. Massie responded to the post with, “Thanks for acknowledging these things. Better late than never. I’ll send you the hat.” 

The quip was accompanied by a picture of a MAGA-style hat with the words, “Massie was right about everything.”

The Washington Examiner described Massie’s most recent exchange with Hegseth as an ultimatum: resign or face impeachment. Massie told ABC News on Nov. 4 that he intends to introduce a resolution Nov. 9 or 10 and believes enough Republicans will defect to pass it. 

Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment Sept. 15 accusing Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution by continuing hostilities with Iran without congressional authorization. The effort stalled when House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled the remaining floor votes before the midterm recess. 

Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services said in April that the Iran war is not just under Catholic just war theory and called Hegseth’s rhetoric invoking God in connection with it “a little bit problematic.”