Trump Says Pete Hegseth Is 'Doing a Very Good Job' Amid Reports He Could Be Replaced
President Donald Trump publicly backed War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, shutting down speculation that he would be pushed out after Republicans' heavy midterm losses.
Asked directly whether he was thinking about replacing Hegseth, Trump rejected the idea. "No, I think he's doing a very good job," he told reporters.
The comment came amid reports that Trump had privately asked advisers whether Hegseth should stay on. CBS News reported that the president consulted several advisers about Hegseth's future, though no decision to remove him had been made.
One Trump adviser told Reuters that Hegseth "could be on the chopping block" as Republicans searched for answers after Tuesday's defeats.
READ MORE: JD Vance Blames Iran War for GOP Midterm Losses: 'The Reason We Lost Is the War'
The Iran War and the Midterms
The talk about Hegseth grew out of a wider debate over why Republicans lost both chambers of Congress. Vice President JD Vance put it bluntly on Wednesday: "The reason we lost is the war."
Trump acknowledged that the eight-month conflict with Iran played a role, especially through its effect on gas prices. But he strongly defended the decision and said he would make it again.
"The Iran thing we had to do, and we continue to do it," Trump said.
Because Hegseth was one of the most visible advocates of the administration's military strategy, much of the attention landed on him. Trump has previously described him as an early supporter of military action to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
Pentagon Pushes Back
The White House referred questions about Hegseth's future to Trump's public statement. The Pentagon also rejected suggestions that he might leave, saying he remains "100 percent committed" to leading the department through the rest of Trump's term.
"Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points," chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said.
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Still, Hegseth faces a much tougher road once Democrats take control of the House and Senate in January. They have promised investigations into his management of the Pentagon, the Iran war and the removal of senior military officers, as well as Ukraine policy and strikes on suspected drug boats in Latin American waters.
Pressure From Republicans Too
The criticism is not coming only from Democrats. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky previously introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth over military action against Iran, accusing him of launching hostilities without congressional approval. The Pentagon disputes that.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Hegseth has "a reckoning" coming and questioned whether he is the best person to sell Trump's defense priorities on Capitol Hill.
That relationship will matter as the administration seeks support for a proposed $1.5 trillion defense package, a much harder lift with Democrats in charge of Congress and able to issue subpoenas.
Some have compared the moment to 2006, when President George W. Bush announced Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's departure the morning after Republicans lost Congress during the Iraq war, replacing him with Robert Gates.
Democratic control of Congress will make Hegseth's job considerably harder, exposing him to committee hearings and subpoenas at the same time the Pentagon needs lawmakers' votes for its biggest priorities.
For now, Trump has made it clear he has no plans to follow that example.