President Trump has been asking advisers whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should stay in his job following Republicans' catastrophic losses in the midterm elections, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussions. The conversations, taking place in Washington, come as the administration grapples with fallout from an election cycle widely seen as a referendum on the war with Iran.
Trump Hasn't Made a Decision, Sources Say
Despite the private questioning, sources tell CBS News that the president has not decided to replace Hegseth. One source told the network that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is being floated as a possible replacement and could take the Pentagon post once his gubernatorial term ends. It would not be the first time DeSantis's name has surfaced in connection with the job — the BBC previously reported that Trump considered tapping DeSantis for the role during Hegseth's original nomination process.
DeSantis is set to leave the Florida governor's office on January 5, 2027, after serving two consecutive terms, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. As of Wednesday, the paper notes, DeSantis had not officially announced his plans for after he leaves office. Any move to the Pentagon would also require DeSantis to undergo Senate confirmation during the lame-duck period, per the same account.
White House Pushes Back on Replacement Talk
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said Trump has full confidence in Hegseth, according to the CBS News report. Kelly also praised military operations in Iran and Venezuela, and credited Hegseth's efforts to reverse what she described as the Biden Pentagon's prioritization of diversity initiatives and what she called woke ideology, the network reported.
Trump himself appeared to downplay any shake-up when asked directly about the possibility. “No, I don't think so. Had nothing to do with my Cabinet,” Trump said, according to The Hill, rejecting the idea that the election losses stemmed from his Cabinet choices.
Blame Spreads Across the Administration
Not everyone in Trump's orbit is pointing fingers at Hegseth alone. Some White House aides predicted that blame for the GOP losses would also fall on Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, and Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, both of whom played major roles in guidance on the Iran war, the outlet's reporting states.
Vice President JD Vance was more blunt. “The reason we lost is the war,” Vance said, according to the same CBS News report, which also noted he posted about the war on social platform X on Wednesday morning. His remarks echo polling cited in a separate report: The Independent cited an exit poll finding that 74 percent of voters described the Iran war as a crucial or major issue, while an Associated Press survey found six in 10 voters believed the United States made the wrong decision in taking military action against Iran.
Congressional Pressure Mounts on Hegseth
The political heat extends beyond the West Wing. Senator Thom Tillis said Hegseth faces “a reckoning” in the post-election lame-duck session of Congress, questioning whether the defense secretary is the right person to make the Pentagon's funding case to lawmakers, according to The Hill.
Democrats were reportedly trying to impeach Hegseth before the election even took place, and CBS News's reporting indicates that stronger Democratic majorities in both chambers could increase the likelihood of such an effort moving forward. For now, though, Hegseth's fate remains an open question inside an administration publicly standing behind him while privately weighing its options.
