President Trump publicly backed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, even as CBS News reported he has been asking advisers whether Hegseth should stay after Republican midterm losses.
What CBS reported
According to CBS News, updated Wednesday afternoon, sources familiar with the matter say Trump has asked advisers in person and by phone whether Hegseth should remain at the Pentagon. Other sources told CBS the president has not decided to replace him.
CBS also reported that some White House aides expect blame for Tuesday’s GOP losses to fall on Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Both played major roles in guidance on the Iran war. Central Command oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East. The Joint Chiefs chair is the top military adviser to the president and defense secretary.
One source floated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible Hegseth replacement. Under that idea, DeSantis could seek Senate confirmation in the lame-duck period—the weeks after the election before the new Congress sits—then take the post when his governor term ends Jan. 5, 2027.
Trump’s public answer
Asked Wednesday afternoon whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, Trump told reporters he was not.
“No, I think he’s doing a very good job,” Trump said, according to CBS News, Ynet News, and CNBC coverage of his remarks.
Trump was also asked about Hegseth for the Tennessee Senate seat that would open if Sen. Marsha Blackburn becomes governor. “I actually think he’d be very popular if he did that,” Trump said, “but I haven’t heard that at all.”
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement that the president “has full confidence in Secretary Hegseth.” Kelly praised military operations in Iran and Venezuela and Hegseth’s work to reverse what she called the Biden Pentagon’s focus on “DEI and woke ideology.” DEI means diversity, equity, and inclusion programs inside agencies.
Democratic pressure
CBS reported that Democrats were already trying to impeach Hegseth before the election. With Democrats holding strong majorities in both chambers, CBS said the likelihood of an impeachment effort could increase. Impeachment is a formal House charge that can lead to a Senate trial; that rise in pressure is a reported possibility, not a settled outcome.
Vice President JD Vance, in a separate Wednesday post on X, said “the reason we lost is the war.” That midterm comment is covered in a separate Hisarak report and is noted here only as context.
Key points
- CBS: Trump asked advisers if Hegseth should stay; he has not decided to replace him.
- Trump: Hegseth is “doing a very good job”; he is not considering a replacement.
- White House: full confidence in Hegseth; praise for Iran and Venezuela operations.
- One source floated DeSantis as a possible successor after Jan. 5, 2027.
- Democrats had already pursued Hegseth impeachment talk; new majorities may raise that pressure, per CBS.
Hisarak News Desk
