Washington: Following a historic Republican defeat in the 2026 US midterm elections that saw Democrats reclaim control of both chambers of Congress, pressure is mounting rapidly on President Donald Trump to dismiss Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over the administration's handling of the war in Iran.
Despite growing calls for Hegseth's departure from both sides of the aisle, President Trump doubled down on his Secretary of War on Thursday, insisting he intends to keep him in office.
"I have every intention to keep him. I get these calls, you know, about him. I don't understand why," President Trump told ABC News, the outlet's chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl wrote in a post on X.
The push to remove Hegseth is being led by senior Democrats and anti-war Republicans who attribute the electorate's sharp rebuke directly to the military campaign in the Middle East.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries targeted the Pentagon chief directly on X, writing, "Why is Pete Hegseth still around?"Representative Jason Crow (D-CO), a House Armed Services Committee member, called Hegseth "incompetent," asserting that "every day that he’s in the Pentagon… is a day that our service members… are at greater risk."
Representative Patrick Ryan (D-NY), a former Army intelligence officer, echoed the sentiment, stating that the new Democratic majority's first priority must be removing Hegseth.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie (R-KY) issued a direct ultimatum, threatening to reintroduce a 34-page impeachment resolution against Hegseth when Congress reconvenes unless the secretary steps down immediately. "There is one contingency in which I won’t reintroduce the articles of impeachment: Hegseth resigns."
The scrutiny of Hegseth coincides with stark admissions from within the White House regarding the political cost of the Iran war.In a public assessment, Vice President JD Vance explicitly linked the midterm losses to the conflict. "The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone… The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," said Vance.
Acknowledging Vance’s assessment, President Trump conceded that the war contributed to short-term economic strain, particularly elevated gasoline prices, but fiercely defended the decision.
"Well, I think it's largely true because it drove the gasoline up a little bit short-term, and probably that's uh probably it's true. But at the same time, if I had it to do again, I'd have to do it again because long-term, it's the only answer. You can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon."Trump also dismissed speculation that Democrats might pursue presidential impeachment, claiming such an action "would destroy the Democratic Party."The sharp remark comes as Democrats celebrate victories in key House and Senate races, intensifying pressure on the Trump administration. Hegseth has faced mounting scrutiny from Democrats and select Republicans over the leadership of Hegseth and the administration's management of the ongoing conflict with Iran.
However, CBS News, citing multiple individuals familiar with the situation, stated that following a bruising round of midterm elections that resulted in major losses for the ruling party, United States President Donald Trump is reportedly evaluating whether to retain Pete Hegseth as the Secretary of War, with the ongoing Iran war serving as a central point in internal discussions.
According to the outlet, Trump has raised the matter during phone conversations and consultations with close advisers, though a final decision regarding a potential personnel change has not yet been reached. These deliberations coincide with growing scrutiny within Washington regarding the broader political impact of the US war in Iran.