Republicans suffer heavy midterm losses, fueling calls to hold Hegseth accountable

Criticism mounts over defense secretary's staunch backing of Iran war

House impeachment vote expected next week; Senate removal seen as uphill battle

Trump weighs White House, cabinet shake-up; Wiles' future draws scrutiny

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on as President Donald Trump meets with Steven Hubbard, a prisoner released from Russia, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Oct. 30 (local time). [EPA]
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth looks on as President Donald Trump meets with Steven Hubbard, a prisoner released from Russia, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on Oct. 30 (local time). [EPA]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has emerged as a prime target for a personnel shake-up after Republicans suffered a crushing defeat in the US midterm elections. President Donald Trump has publicly dismissed any immediate cabinet changes, but sources say he is privately canvassing advisers on who should be held accountable for the loss. Hegseth, who was among the most vocal advocates for the Iran war, has drawn the sharpest criticism — and his potential ouster is being discussed as a possible trigger for a sweeping overhaul of the White House and cabinet.

According to US media reports, Trump has been asking those around him for their views on who should bear responsibility for the midterm defeat. While he publicly brushed aside the prospect of cabinet changes immediately after the election, he is internally weighing personnel changes, sources said.

Hegseth is widely seen as the most likely candidate for removal. Vice President JD Vance singled out the Iran war as the cause of the Republican defeat the day after the election, and the Democratic Party made ending the war its top campaign priority — leaving Hegseth, who championed the conflict, as the focal point of the backlash.

Even within the Republican Party, the mood has shifted toward holding Hegseth accountable rather than directing criticism at Trump directly. The House is expected to vote next week on an impeachment motion against Hegseth introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the most prominent anti-Trump voices in the party.

With Democrats holding a House majority and some Republican lawmakers also turning against Hegseth, the impeachment motion is seen as having a real chance of passing. However, actually removing him from office would require a two-thirds majority of senators present in the Senate. Even with Democrats controlling the Senate, removal would be difficult without additional Republican defections.

Hegseth is said to be intent on fighting the impeachment process head-on rather than resigning voluntarily. Some observers suggest he could draw on his experience as a former Fox News host to turn the impeachment hearings into a platform for strengthening his political standing.

"Hegseth probably knows he's done, but he seems to want a dramatic exit that could serve as a springboard for a presidential run," a Trump administration official told CNN.

Yet if Hegseth uses the impeachment hearings to relitigate the justification for the Iran war, it could create significant political headaches for Trump as well — potentially reigniting the very issue widely blamed for the midterm losses.

Against that backdrop, there is speculation that Trump may look for a way to ease Hegseth out of the Pentagon while still giving him a political off-ramp.

On Thursday, Trump brought up a Tennessee Senate seat unprompted when reporters asked about other matters — not about Hegseth's future. With Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn having won the Tennessee governorship, her Senate seat is now vacant, and Trump suggested Hegseth would be popular as her replacement.

Under US law, a governor can appoint an interim senator when a seat becomes vacant. That has prompted discussion of a scenario in which Hegseth is moved to the Senate, allowing him to step down from the Pentagon without the appearance of being fired.

CNN reported, however, that Hegseth is not currently pursuing a Senate seat and that some within the Republican Party view his potential move to Congress with skepticism.

There is also a possibility that senior military commanders, rather than Hegseth himself, could be replaced. According to the Washington Post, Trump is considering removing Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine or Central Command chief Brad Cooper.

The timing of any personnel changes is itself a critical variable. If Democrats take control of the Senate when the new Congress convenes in January, any new defense secretary nominee Trump puts forward could face a grueling confirmation process.

"Nobody is going to get confirmed in the new Congress," a senior White House official told Axios. "We are operating under that assumption."

There is historical precedent for a defense secretary being replaced in the immediate aftermath of a midterm defeat. In 2006, President George W. Bush abruptly fired Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the day after Republicans lost the midterms amid mounting public opposition to the Iraq war. Rumsfeld had become the face of that conflict.

Analysts say Trump, with two years left in his term, may similarly turn to a personnel shake-up to try to regain political momentum.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump's inner circle expects a reorganization of White House staff and the cabinet within the coming weeks to months.

Inside the White House, attention is also focused on the future of Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, one of Trump's closest confidants and the person who has overseen the day-to-day running of the administration.

"Washington is very curious about whether Trump and Wiles will part ways," the Wall Street Journal reported, adding that discussions about a possible replacement are already under way among Trump's outside advisers.

All eyes are now on whether Trump, having ceded congressional power to the Democrats in the midterms, will change course in how he governs. Hegseth's fate is expected to be the first real test of the scope and direction of any personnel overhaul in the Trump administration following the election defeat.


sjy@heraldcorp.com