Pete Hegseth has broken his silence over impeachment threats, releasing a defiant video after speculation that he could be forced out of the Trump administration following historic Republican losses in the midterm elections.
President Donald Trump acknowledged after Tuesday’s devastating result for the GOP that voters had rejected the war in Iran, a conflict largely directed by Hegseth, the Secretary of War.
The growing backlash has led some Republican insiders to suggest that Hegseth could become the person held responsible for the “bluenami” that gave Democrats control of Congress.
He now faces two possible impeachment efforts. The first is being pushed by anti-Trump Republican Thomas Massie, who intends to force a vote in the House. The second could come from incoming Democrats, who will have subpoena power.
There has also been speculation that Trump might remove Hegseth from his Cabinet, a possibility the president has denied.
In a video posted on X from outside the Department of War, however, Hegseth struck a combative tone and insisted he was not leaving.
“We don’t back down,” the Secretary of War said. “And that especially applies now.”
“The next few months and years are critical for our department and our Republic.”
Hegseth described Trump’s war against Iran as a “historic and courageous effort,” regardless of “how people feel” about the campaign.
He also accused Democrats of being “obsessed” with pursuing a personal vendetta against him and demanding his impeachment, but said their efforts “won’t work” against him.
After Chief of Staff Susie Wiles (right) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were floated by Republicans seeking someone to blame, Trump’s allies appeared to settle on Hegseth as a possible scapegoat
Vance quickly pointed to the war in Iran as a major factor in the Republican midterm defeat in a lengthy statement posted to X on Wednesday morning
His comments came as the White House was shaken by demands from Republican operatives for a scapegoat after the party’s humiliating midterm performance.
After Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were mentioned as possible casualties, Hegseth’s name rapidly emerged among Republicans as the most likely Cabinet official to be dismissed.
White House insiders who spoke to the Daily Mail said Trump had been consulting a small group of trusted advisers about whether Hegseth should remain in his post.
“Trump is making phone calls, contemplating it,” a senior Republican said. By early Thursday, however, Trump insisted he had “every intention to keep him.”
The president acknowledged that critics had been contacting him about the Pentagon chief. “I get these calls, you know, about him. I don’t understand why,” Trump told ABC News.
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Trump also conceded that confirming a replacement Defense Secretary would be easier before Democrats take control of the Senate in January.
Republican sources additionally claimed that Trump was “encouraging” Governor-elect Marsha Blackburn to appoint Hegseth to her Senate seat.
If Blackburn resigned, Governor Bill Lee could appoint Hegseth, potentially giving Trump enough time to secure confirmation of a new Pentagon chief before the new year.
According to one source, the criticism is not centered on the Iran war itself—now blamed by many conservatives, including Vice President JD Vance, for Tuesday’s defeat—but on what Trump was told about the operation. The source said Trump repeatedly learned about important developments in the Persian Gulf only after they had occurred.
Vance made the war a central issue in a lengthy statement posted to X on Wednesday morning.
JD Vance listens to President Trump as he welcomes Stephen Hubbard to the Oval Office on October 30
Trump spoke as the final steel beam was installed in the White House ballroom on Wednesday
When asked about Vance’s post at the White House several hours later, Trump broadly agreed with the diagnosis but rejected the suggestion that launching the war had been a mistake.
“I think it’s largely true because it drove the gasoline up… but at the same time if I had it to do again, I’d have to do it again,” he said.
Trump launched the conflict in February despite private reservations from his deputy, and Vance’s carefully worded statement effectively placed much of the blame for the midterm defeat on the president.
Meanwhile, the contest for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination is already gathering momentum.
With the first nominating contests just over a year away, Republicans are preparing to choose their first presidential nominee who is not Trump since 2012.
Vance’s prospects appeared to suffer a sharp setback within a single day. What is clear is that, if he wants to win the presidency in 2028, he will face an exceptionally hard fight.
“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance wrote on X on Wednesday, citing polling that found some Trump voters had switched their support to Democrats.
This is a developing story…