Key facts
- Trump told reporters he was not considering replacing Hegseth: "No, I think he's doing a very good job."
- A Trump adviser said Hegseth "could be on the chopping block" because of the Iran war.
- The Defense Department said Hegseth was "100 percent committed" to leading the Pentagon until January 20, 2029.
- Senator Thom Tillis told CBS News Hegseth has "a reckoning" coming over strained ties with lawmakers.
- Representative Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth earlier in 2026, accusing him of abusing his office over Iran.
- Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth would not back down from "phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists."
US President Donald Trump said on November 4 that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is doing "a very good job," when reporters asked whether he was considering replacing him. The remarks came a day after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in midterm elections that the report said reflected voter anger over the Iran war.
Trump's response was contrasted in the report with then-President George Bush, who fired Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the morning after the 2006 midterm elections, when discontent over the Iraq war helped Democrats win Congress. Sources said Trump could still replace Hegseth as Republicans assess their losses. One Trump adviser said Hegseth "could be on the chopping block" because of the war, adding: "Someone is going to get blamed for this and you know it's not going to be him (Trump)."
Vice President JD Vance publicly questioned on November 4 whether the Iran war was worth it and said it cost Republicans control of Congress. The White House referred Reuters to Trump's public remarks on Hegseth. The Defense Department said Hegseth was "100 percent committed" to leading the Pentagon until the end of Trump's term, which it said ends on January 20, 2029.
Hegseth has drawn opposition within his own party. Republican Representative Thomas Massie filed articles of impeachment against him earlier in 2026, accusing him of abusing his office by launching hostilities against Iran without congressional approval. Republican Senator Thom Tillis told CBS News on November 3 that Hegseth has "a reckoning" coming and that his strained relationship with lawmakers was undermining the administration's push for a $1.5 trillion defense spending package. Tillis said Congress had 60 days left and that after the election lawmakers needed to determine whether Hegseth was the best person to bring those needs to Congress.
Democrats have promised to investigate Hegseth and his handling of the Pentagon, with aides saying that could include the Iran war and his removal of top military officers including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The report said he could also face scrutiny over his Ukraine policy and US military strikes on suspected drug trafficking boats in Latin American waters, which some Democrats say could amount to war crimes.