Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s job is in jeopardy after a disastrous showing for Republicans in midterm elections driven primarily by issues connected to the Iran war, a cause he championed proudly with President Trump.
Mr. Trump is considering replacing Mr. Hegseth at the Pentagon and has been phoning advisers following Tuesday’s catastrophic results, according to multiple reports. However, Mr. Trump rejected those reports, saying he is not considering firing the secretary.
“No, I think he’s doing a very good job,” the president said when asked it he was considering replacing Mr. Hegseth. He also said Mr. Hegseth would be “very popular” as a replacement for Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who won the state’s gubernatorial race on Tuesday.
People were interested in these podcasts
But even if Mr. Trump decides to stick with Mr. Hegseth, a Democratically controlled Congress may move to impeach him anyway, a threat that has dogged the former Fox News host in one form or another since his confirmation in 2025.
High-profile members of the House have openly called for Mr. Hegseth’s impeachment over the past two years.
Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said this year he was in favor of impeaching both Mr. Hegseth and Mr. Trump over the Iran war.
Rep. Thomas Massie, outgoing Kentucky Republican, introduced articles of impeachment against Mr. Hegseth in September, accusing him of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution.
Still, it’s unclear how much of a priority Democratic leadership will place on kicking Mr. Hegseth out of Washington. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House minority leader and New York Democrat who is expected to become the nation’s first Black speaker of the House, emphasized his party’s commitment to focus on economic issues before moving to impeach Mr. Trump or his Cabinet officials.
“The American people don’t want us to get even. They want us to get things done on their behalf because life is way too expensive,” Mr. Jeffries said.
Mr. Hegseth’s tenure at the Pentagon has been marked by controversy after controversy over the past two years.
Just months after his confirmation, the “Signalgate” controversy raised serious questions about the integrity of secure communications within the Pentagon after Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, was inexplicably added to a group chat planning airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Then, in September 2025, a military strike in the Caribbean destroyed a speedboat allegedly carrying drugs for the Tren de Aragua cartel, killing nine people immediately and leaving two survivors. A follow-up airstrike then killed those survivors.
News of the “double tap” strike infuriated some on Capitol Hill, who saw it as a clear violation of the Geneva Conventions, potentially constituting an extrajudicial killing.
Democrats also have implied that Mr. Hegseth has blocked officer promotions based on their race or gender and has obscured the true casualties from the Iran war from the American public.
Mr. Hegseth has made few friends at the Pentagon during his tenure, often alienating some top military commanders via his confrontational public appearances.
Numerous high-ranking officers told The Washington Times last year that Mr. Hegseth’s theatrical speech before hundreds of generals and admirals gathered at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia was “embarrassing” to many in leadership positions who judged it as “below our institution.”
That criticism coincided with a widespread overhaul of the Pentagon’s leadership, spearheaded by Mr. Hegseth. High-level military sources told The Times late last year that the firings, early retirements and resignations fundamentally weakened the U.S.’s strategic position.
Those high-profile departures have only continued since then, with the Iran war exacerbating the potential risks to the American military readiness abroad.
Most recently, Lt. Gen. Brett Sylvia, director of strategy, plans and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was removed from his post after being accused of leaking to the media classified information about the Iran war and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Other high-profile removals this year include Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll.
While those departures may have made it easier for Mr. Hegseth to carry out his vision for the Defense Department, it may have left him with few allies who could come to his defense if Democrats move to impeach.
• Ben Wolfgang contributed to this report.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.