Trump backs Hegseth as House Republican prepares a removal vote after midterm losses

Trump keeps Hegseth in place

Donald Trump told ABC News on Thursday, 5 November 2026, that he intends to keep Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in his job despite a stream of phone calls from people unhappy with him. Speaking to ABC's Washington chief correspondent Jonathan Karl, Trump said he did not understand why the calls were coming. He had already said on Wednesday, 4 November, that he did not plan to replace Hegseth. Karl reported that Trump acknowledged confirming a new defense secretary would be easier before Democrats take control of Congress in January. Trump has repeatedly credited Hegseth with a central role in the decision to attack Iran, and on 23 March he said Hegseth was among the first to back military action so that Iran could not obtain a nuclear weapon. Trump's stance contrasts with George W. Bush's in 2006, when he dismissed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the morning after midterms in which voter anger over the Iraq war helped Democrats win. Sources cited by Reuters say removing Hegseth remains a possible scenario.

Blame after the midterm defeat

Republicans suffered heavy losses in the midterm elections held on 3 November 2026. Several party members have pointed at Hegseth in private conversations, arguing he helped persuade Trump to attack Iran without an exit strategy or a plan for the political fallout. Axios, citing conversations with administration officials and advisers, reported that Hegseth is in an exceptionally precarious position. A Trump adviser told the outlet that the president would not necessarily force him out, though complications remain. Republican strategists in the House and Senate privately acknowledge that the party's problems run deeper than the war, with losses comparable to those of 2008 that could take years to recover from. Party leaders and many members still avoid assigning blame directly to Trump. Reports differ on the current balance in Congress: one describes Democrats as having regained both chambers, while another says Republicans still control the Senate for now.

Removal resolution and the Iran war

Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky known for sharp criticism of Trump and of foreign wars, plans to move a resolution to remove Hegseth from office. CNN reports the vote could come as early as the week of 9 November 2026, and many Republican sources expect it to gather the necessary votes. According to Axios, the charge is that Hegseth defied Congress by continuing the war in Iran unlawfully. Fuel prices rose sharply after Tehran closed the Strait of Hormuz, which deepened voter dissatisfaction with the conflict. Before the US attack on Iran on 28 February 2026, Hegseth was among its most ardent supporters and offered optimistic estimates of how quickly it could be completed. By August, US Central Command was looking for new ways to pressure Iran, a senior official told Axios.

Trump has linked the defeat partly to the war, and Vice President JD Vance argued on 23 March that the conflict contributed to Republicans losing control of Congress. Trump has said he believes the war will eventually prove worth its cost.