Washington: The Republican Party’s heavy defeat in the U.S. midterm elections is sending shockwaves through the White House. CBS News reports that President Donald Trump has been asking advisers whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should keep his job, since the Iran war is going poorly and swayed many voters. Trump is also said to have voiced frustration in calls with allies that military action against Iran followed Hegseth’s advice.
If Hegseth goes, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis could be a possible replacement and could be confirmed quickly by the lame-duck Republican Senate before the end of the year. The idea of sending Hegseth to the vacant Tennessee Senate seat has also been discussed.
In public, Trump has played down the reports. He said he was not considering replacing Hegseth, and added that Hegseth would do a good job as the Senate replacement for Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the president has full confidence in Hegseth. Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has already moved an impeachment resolution against Hegseth, alleging the war with Iran was launched without congressional approval.
Vice President JD Vance, a front-runner for the 2028 Republican nomination, is distancing himself from the fallout. In a lengthy post on X on Wednesday morning, he said the reason the party lost was the war. He said Trump himself acknowledged this the previous night. He listed ending the war, bringing down inflation, implementing “America First” policies and changing ties with Israel as voters’ key demands.
The defeat has deepened divisions inside the Republican Party, with the Iran war now at the centre of an internal power struggle.