Trump Says Hegseth Is Staying After Midterm Losses

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is not considering replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after Republicans’ midterm losses, telling reporters he thinks Hegseth is “doing a very good job,” according to CBS News. ABC News separately quoted Trump as saying Hegseth was “doing a great job.”

The comments came as Democrats prepare to take control of both chambers of Congress and as several Republicans and administration figures debate how much of the defeat to pin on the eight-month war with Iran.

Confidence statements from the White House and Pentagon

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to CBS News that the president “has full confidence in Secretary Hegseth.” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told ABC News that Hegseth is “100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office” and “will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists.”

CBS News, citing multiple people familiar with the matter, reported that Trump has been asking advisers whether Hegseth should remain. The same report said other sources said the president had not decided on a replacement. ABC News likewise reported that Trump has privately sought input from Republicans close to the White House on how Hegseth is doing.

Tennessee seat and other names

Asked about speculation that Hegseth might seek the U.S. Senate seat Marsha Blackburn will leave after winning Tennessee’s governorship, Trump said he thought Hegseth would be “very popular” there, CBS News reported, while adding he had “not heard that at all.” Blackburn declined to discuss a successor when asked by ABC News, saying it was “not a conversation for today.”

One source told CBS News that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been floated as a possible Hegseth replacement who could be confirmed in the lame-duck period before his gubernatorial term ends Jan. 5. That suggestion has not been confirmed by the White House.

Iran war and Democratic oversight

Trump told reporters the Iran campaign “we had to do, and we continue to do it,” and said he believes it will prove worthwhile over time, ABC News reported. Vice President JD Vance wrote on social media Wednesday that “the reason we lost is the war,” a point Trump had also linked to the midterm result.

ABC News said Democrats expect to use their new majorities to scrutinize the Pentagon, including the Iran war, strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats and Hegseth’s firings of senior officers, and that an impeachment push is possible. Hegseth in April called the Iran campaign a “historic and overwhelming victory,” ABC News noted, while fighting has continued for months.

Sources: ABC News, CBS News.