President Donald Trump stood by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, saying he was doing "a very good job" even as current and former administration figures continued to question how long the Pentagon chief could remain in his post after Republicans’ bruising midterm losses.
"I think he’s doing a very good job," Trump said Wednesday when asked by the media whether he was considering replacing Hegseth.
The public support came a day after Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, setting the stage for a shift in power on Capitol Hill in January. The Iran war and its economic fallout loomed large in the election, with Hegseth among the administration's most vocal advocates for the campaign. His future remains the subject of speculation among current and former administration figures despite Trump's public backing.
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A White House official told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the election results "would have looked very different without the Iran War." The official predicted Trump would ultimately hold Hegseth, a former Fox News host, accountable, saying, "that will play out in the lame duck."
"Hegseth is on the chopping block," a former White House staffer told Fox News Digital later Tuesday of Hegseth's future.
An administration official said there were "signs" Hegseth could be ousted, but added that "Trump can turn on a dime." The official said the possibility had been discussed for some time, though "only Trump knows what he’s gonna do."
"It was clear Bessent became the go-to after Pete couldn't deliver an Iran victory," the source said, referring to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who led the sanctions campaign against Iran known as Operation Economic Outcast.
Beyond the Iran war, Hegseth also championed a plan to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major who killed 13 people and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood in 2009. The proposal drew bipartisan backlash before Trump ultimately scrapped the livestream, while leaving Hasan's execution in place.
A foreign policy source with ties to Hegseth’s orbit told Fox News Digital they did not expect the secretary to remain in the job through the end of the year. The source said Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment push could force Republicans eyeing 2028 reelection bids to "saddle themselves with a pro-Hegseth vote."
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Hegseth has faced criticism over his prominent role in the Iran war, which has continued to generate political and economic fallout long after the White House's initial three-to-four-week timeline. He was among the administration's most vocal defenders of the campaign, declaring in March that the U. S. was carrying out "our retribution" against Iran.
Although sustained U. S. strikes have ended, tensions with Tehran remain unresolved, with lingering concerns about Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities and the possibility of renewed military action.
Renewed U. S. military strikes against Iran remain under serious consideration by the White House, sources told Fox News Digital.
That possibility could weigh against an immediate change at the Pentagon. Installing new leadership as the administration considers renewed military operations would create uncertainty at a critical moment, while Hegseth has already demonstrated a willingness to move quickly in carrying out Trump's military directives.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital Hegseth remains "100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office."
"Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists. The Department of War has followed the law and our Secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops, and protect America," he went on. "We will continue to drive President Trump’s agenda at the Department of War — despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats."
Democrats have signaled that Hegseth will be a focus of the incoming Congress. Before the election, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Democrats would "run Pete Hegseth out of town" if they won the House. Democrats have also discussed investigations into the Iran war and Pentagon leadership, with impeachment among the options.
Scrutiny from Democrats could keep Hegseth and the war he has championed at the center of the administration’s political troubles.
Massie, R-Ky., has separately vowed to force a vote on his impeachment resolution during the lame-duck session if Hegseth remains in office.
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As defense secretary, Hegseth pushed sweeping changes to military culture, including banning transgender service members, eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and imposing uniform combat fitness standards for men and women. He also sought to overhaul the Pentagon bureaucracy by consolidating Army commands, cutting senior military leadership and expanding the use of artificial intelligence and advanced weapons technology.
His tenure has also been marked by controversy, including the sharing of sensitive details about planned strikes against Houthi militants in Signal chats that inadvertently included a journalist. Internal infighting, leak investigations and the dismissal of several top aides have fueled scrutiny, though Trump has repeatedly defended his leadership.
The political pressure on Hegseth echoes a past moment when midterm losses and an unpopular war put a defense secretary’s future in question.
On November 8, 2006, President George W. Bush announced Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation, one day after Republicans suffered major midterm election losses amid growing criticism of the Iraq War.