Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is reportedly facing mounting pressure from Republicans following the party’s devastating midterm election losses, but President Donald Trump isn’t ready to let him go.
After Democrats captured control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Republican lawmakers and White House allies began questioning Hegseth’s leadership and his role in the increasingly unpopular war with Iran.
“If the president is serious about anyone taking responsibility for it, it’s Pete Hegseth,” a Republican close to the White House told CNN.
The source accused Hegseth of being “either dishonest or incorrect” about the conflict’s objectives and timeline.
But Trump has reportedly defended his defense secretary when reporters asked Wednesday whether he was considering replacing him.
“No, I think he’s doing a very good job,” the president replied.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis also questioned Hegseth’s future, telling CBS News that the Pentagon chief had “a reckoning” coming. Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie has introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth and plans to force a House vote which could begin as soon as next week.
Vice President JD Vance also appeared to throw his fellow Republican under the bus, acknowledging the political consequences of the conflict, declaring, “The reason we lost is the war.” The war has been slammed as “illegal” by many across both parties and is the main reason gas prices reached astronomical prices. Conditions of U.S. bases in the Middle East leaked weeks back, horrifying U.S. citizens, as despite the administration’s claims, they appeared to be blown to smithereens.
A major @WSJ investigation documents the extensive damage Iranian missile and drone attacks have inflicted on US military bases across the Middle East, and how Iran’s targeting has evolved over the course of the war. The Pentagon privately estimates at least $5 billion in damage to US bases, potentially as much as $15 billion. That’s on top of $47.1 billion in other war costs through October 16. More than 20 US servicemembers have been killed in war-related activity, with over 400 wounded before the July ceasefire collapsed, when the Pentagon stopped publishing war-specific casualty figures. In the first two weeks alone, at least 119 buildings across 13 installations were damaged, particularly in Kuwait. Iran also struck radar, missile-defense, and communications infrastructure. The US largely evacuated several bases, including its Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and major installations in Kuwait. Perhaps most significant is how Iranian attacks evolved. Following the July ceasefire collapse, Iran increasingly struck bases farther from its borders, particularly in Jordan, while hitting smaller, more specific targets, including buildings housing American troops. A July 17 strike on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan killed three US servicemembers and damaged at least 19 buildings where troops sleep. The WSJ’s satellite analysis suggests growing Iranian targeting precision and an ability to adapt its operations despite months of US and Israeli strikes. The Pentagon has been forced to disperse personnel, reconsider its regional basing posture, and weigh relocating installations farther from Iran. All of this stands in striking contrast to repeated public claims by Trump administration officials that Iran’s missile capabilities had been effectively destroyed. In March, Hegseth declared Iran’s ballistic missile production capacity functionally defeated. In April, Trump said its missiles were nearly exhausted. In July, days after the deadly Jordan strike, Hegseth described Iran as "completely overmatched and crushed" and "combat ineffective." Yet Iran continued striking US installations, inflicting casualties and billions in damage. The broader strategic implication is that degrading Iran’s military capabilities has not eliminated its ability to impose substantial costs on the US regional military presence. The war has exposed the vulnerability of America’s large, fixed bases to Iranian missiles and drones, raising difficult questions for the US about the sustainability of its posture in the Middle East and the consequences of another round of escalation. https://t.co/p94Io9TgS4
— Sina Toossi (@SinaToossi) October 31, 2026
“The entire Department is unified behind the Secretary’s vision,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said, supporting Hegseth’s decisions..
Democrats are also preparing investigations into Hegseth’s leadership when they assume congressional control.