Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's hold on the Pentagon is growing more precarious, as internal critics accuse him of steering President Trump into a conflict that contributed to the Republicans' sweeping midterm losses on Tuesday. Two sources with knowledge of the discussions said the president has been sounding out allies about Hegseth's standing. One described the defense chief as being in “a lot of trouble,” while the other said the level of jeopardy was unclear. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
The administration is also reviewing plans to resume military operations against Iran, according to one of those sources. Trump has publicly backed Hegseth, telling reporters on Thursday that he had not made up his mind about the war's future. “I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible, but maybe I will have to,” Trump said. “You will know soon enough.”
A senior Pentagon official told The Hill that replacing Hegseth is not “practical,” given the difficulty of getting a new nominee confirmed by the Senate during the lame-duck session before Democrats take control. “He is not terribly worried about being replaced,” the official said. However, Hegseth's support in Congress has eroded among both parties, with lawmakers demanding more transparency on the Iran war and defense spending.
A Republican congressional aide said Hegseth's position had become “completely untenable” on Capitol Hill. “Keeping him in would require the White House to spend all of their political capital defending him from impeachment proceedings and drag the president into endless news cycles about the war, firing generals, signalgate and more,” the aide said.
Hegseth and his allies mounted a defense on Thursday. In a video posted from the Pentagon, Hegseth attacked Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) for filing impeachment articles and pushed for the $350 billion defense reconciliation package. “This is not about me, but of course the other side. In case you've noticed, they're obsessed. A disgruntled, defeated congressman, along with all his Democrat allies, has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly, just like they tried against President Trump twice,” Hegseth said.
The Pentagon's press team also began sharing statements on X with the caption “Stand. Fight. Defend the Republic.” The White House posted a video touting Hegseth's tenure, featuring him saying, “We are not defenders anymore. We are warriors.”
The speculation follows Vice President Vance's public criticism of the Iran war, which he had opposed internally. “When you have the sitting VP say Iran is a mistake, the support for the conflict and Hegseth by extension is going to evaporate,” said one defense-world source.
Inside the Pentagon, questions are swirling about Hegseth's longevity even if he avoids impeachment. Critics, including former Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot, argue he was never qualified for the job. “For almost two years now, we've had a cross between a court jester and a personal trainer running the Pentagon, and it's done real damage to the President and to Republicans. If Hegseth were truly loyal to President Trump, he would have stepped aside long ago — or better yet, never taken a job he wasn't qualified for,” Ullyot said.
Hegseth is widely seen as one of the main advocates for the Iran war, a role Trump has acknowledged. “Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up and you said let's do it because you can't let them have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said in late March. The pressure will escalate next week when Massie plans to reintroduce eight articles of impeachment, an effort backed by House Democrats. Massie, who lost his reelection to Hegseth-backed Ed Gallerin, said only Hegseth's resignation would stop him. Mark Lucas, a Hegseth ally, warned that Veteran Action would hold any Republican accountable who supports the impeachment effort. “And if you ever hope to have a political future in the Republican Party, you better vote that resolution down. It's bigger than Pete,” Lucas said.
