President Trump says he has every intention of keeping Pete Hegseth as War Secretary even as pressure builds from both parties after Democratic midterm gains.
President Trump told ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl on Thursday that he plans to retain Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, brushing aside a wave of calls for a change at the Pentagon after Democrats scored sweeping victories in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
“I have every intention to keep him,” Trump said. “I get these calls, you know, about him. I don’t understand why.”
The Post reported that the president’s public defense comes as White House insiders describe him quietly canvassing advisers on whether Hegseth should stay, and as House Democrats prepare possible impeachment moves in the lame-duck session.
Trump also struck an upbeat note about dealing with the incoming Democratic majorities in the 120th Congress. “I think we can get along,” he said. “It’s good for the country if we do. The country has had enough.”
Hegseth, the 46-year-old former Fox News host who leads the Department of War, has drawn sharp criticism over the handling of the war in Iran. He was a strong advocate for the fight and became the face of the administration’s pro-war contingent in the early days of Operation Epic Fury.
He has bristled at skepticism from reporters and has not briefed the press about the conflict since May. Reporting has pointed to devastation Iran inflicted on U.S. bases in the region, including a key port in Bahrain used to supply aircraft carriers.
A person close to the administration put the political reality bluntly on Wednesday.
“Somebody has to own this. When the word ‘war’ is in your title, then you might be the person in the crosshairs.”
Vice President JD Vance and other top administration figures have blamed Democrats for racking up the House and Senate wins. That has not stopped the spotlight from settling on the Pentagon chief.
Several Republicans have nudged Trump to remove Hegseth and name a replacement while the GOP still holds a Senate majority. Retiring North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis is among those who have pressed for a switch.
The pressure tracks a familiar midterm pattern. After Republicans took heavy losses in the 2006 elections amid backlash over the Iraq War, then-President George W. Bush announced the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the next day. Trump is choosing a different course, at least in public.
The House could vote on a resolution to impeach Hegseth as soon as next week when it returns for the lame-duck session. Democrats have also signaled they will pursue him if he remains in charge when the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell answered that threat directly and left little room for doubt about Hegseth’s plans.
“We will continue to drive [Trump’s] agenda at the Department of War, despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats, and Secretary Hegseth is 100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office.”
That statement frames the coming fight as partisan lawfare, not a debate over fitness for office. It also locks the secretary into a full-term posture at a moment when some allies wanted an off-ramp.
On Wednesday, Hegseth shot down efforts to get him to leave the Pentagon voluntarily and chase a newly open Senate seat in his home state of Tennessee. Outgoing Sen. Marsha Blackburn won the governor’s race there and will be able to appoint her successor.
Turning down that path keeps Hegseth in Washington and on the front line of the Iran war debate, the midterm blame game, and whatever investigations Democrats launch next year. It also forces the White House to own the choice in plain view.
Trump’s Thursday comments to Karl were unambiguous. He does not accept the premise of the ouster campaign and sees no reason to dump his War Secretary because the phone is ringing. White House advisers may still be asked for feedback behind closed doors. The public line is settled for now.
Standing by a wartime cabinet officer after a rough election is a test of resolve. Trump is making clear he will not offer Democrats a trophy scalp to celebrate their midterm night.
