AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
A Trump administration official reportedly believes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth knows his days at the Pentagon are numbered following Republicans’ widespread midterm election losses.
“I think he probably knows he’s dead but would like an exit sufficiently dramatic that it gives him a launching pad to run for POTUS,” the unnamed official told CNN in a report published Wednesday.
The assessment comes as Republicans search for someone to hold responsible for the party’s loss of both the House and Senate, with Hegseth facing mounting criticism over his role in President Donald Trump’s war with Iran.
According to CNN, several Republicans believe Hegseth persuaded Trump to launch the military campaign without adequately preparing for its consequences. Some now view the defense secretary as a potential target of blame for the election results, even as Trump continues to stand by him.
“If the president is serious about anyone taking responsibility for it, it’s Pete Hegseth,” one Republican close to the White House told CNN. “Pete has been either dishonest or incorrect — neither of which are acceptable — about timelines, goals and objectives since the beginning.”
Hegseth could also face an impeachment vote as soon as next week.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) told CNN he intends to force a vote when lawmakers return to Washington, and multiple Republican sources told the outlet they expect the measure to pass.
“You don’t screw up this badly an election with just one issue,” Massie said. “It was completely avoidable if they’d just broken out of the cultish following of Donald Trump.”
The report follows a separate Wednesday scoop from CBS News, which revealed that Trump has been privately asking advisers whether Hegseth should keep his job. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has reportedly been floated as a possible replacement.
Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, directly blamed the war for Republicans’ electoral defeat.
“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance declared Wednesday on social media.
Trump, however, publicly defended Hegseth and rejected the suggestion that he was preparing to fire him.
“Well, I think he’s doing a very good job,” Trump said Wednesday when asked about Hegseth’s future.
Despite the growing pressure, Hegseth is preparing to fight any impeachment effort, according to CNN. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the network that the defense secretary remains “100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office.”
The Mediaite One-Sheet “Newsletter of Newsletters”
The single summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting from both sides of the aisle. Subscribe now!
trump-official-predicts-hegseth-downfall-knows-hes-dead
