Trump Weighs Replacing Hegseth After Crushing Republican Midterm Defeat

WASHINGTON, Nov 4: US President Donald Trump has been asking advisers whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should remain in his position following the Republicans’ sweeping losses in the midterm elections, according to a report by CBS News.

The president has raised the question with advisers and during telephone conversations, but has not yet made a final decision on Hegseth’s future, CBS News reported, citing multiple sources familiar with the discussions.

The reported discussions come as the Trump administration faces growing political pressure following the Republican Party’s major election defeat, with Democrats projected to take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has emerged as a possible candidate to replace Hegseth, according to the CBS report. One source suggested DeSantis could potentially secure Senate confirmation during the lame-duck period before leaving the Florida governor’s office in January.

The report said some White House aides also believe scrutiny could extend beyond Hegseth to senior military officials involved in shaping guidance and strategy for the war with Iran, including Adm. Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The developments come amid an increasingly heated debate within the Trump administration and the Republican Party over the reasons behind the midterm defeat.

Vice President JD Vance said earlier Wednesday that the war with Iran was the central reason Republicans lost the elections, arguing that many Americans who supported the Trump-Vance ticket in 2024 switched their support to Democratic candidates in 2026 because of dissatisfaction over the conflict and other issues.

President Trump, however, has offered a different explanation for the Republican losses, saying in comments to CBS News that he was not on the ballot and arguing that voter turnout and the quality of some candidates contributed to the outcome.

Hegseth had already faced calls from Democrats for impeachment before the elections. With Democrats now set to control Congress, the election result is expected to give them significantly greater oversight powers over the Trump administration and could intensify political scrutiny of the Pentagon and the administration’s handling of the Iran war.

No official announcement has been made regarding Hegseth’s position, and the CBS report stressed that Trump has yet to decide whether to replace his defense secretary.