The Republican Party's historic losses in the midterm elections have led to a swift backlash against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with many lawmakers and allies pinning the blame for the party's poor performance on his shoulders. According to sources, Hegseth played a key role in convincing President Donald Trump to launch a war with Iran, which has turned into a quagmire and triggered voters' revolt against the GOP.
The knives are out for Hegseth, with House Republicans expected to vote to directly repudiate him in a matter of days. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a famously anti-Trump GOP lawmaker, plans to trigger a vote to impeach Hegseth when Congress returns next week, and multiple GOP sources expect it to pass. Hegseth has made few friends on Capitol Hill since taking over command of the Pentagon, and his vocal cheerleading for the war has not helped his case.
Republicans argue that Hegseth oversold the US' ability to win the conflict quickly and easily, and that he has continued to advocate for escalation despite little sign that continued bombing has brought Iran closer to surrender. The conflict has since turned into a quagmire, entangling the US in the Middle East indefinitely, worsening the affordability crisis, and triggering voters' midterm revolt against the GOP.
Despite efforts to turn up the heat on Hegseth, Trump's own confidence in his defense secretary hasn't yet wavered. Trump personally likes Hegseth and has told aides that he believes he should fight back against efforts to impeach him or launch investigations into his decision-making. Trump may also feel an additional need to keep Hegseth around if he chooses to move forward with additional strikes against Iran.
The White House has also decried the prospect of Democratic investigations into the Pentagon, with spokeswoman Lauren Bis arguing that "if Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people." However, some Republicans feel it may be only a matter of time before Trump looks for someone to blame for the midterm losses, and they view Hegseth as an obvious target.
Hegseth has been defiant about his ability to withstand the forthcoming wave of congressional scrutiny. While he has at times discussed his potential future ambitions with allies, including possibly running for office in Tennessee, those closest to Trump don't believe that's an immediate goal of his. Hegseth still expects to stay in his role and is prepared to fight an impeachment effort.
In a statement, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that Hegseth "will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists." The defense secretary is prepared to own every policy decision and action taken by the Pentagon and believes he's well-equipped to defend those moves in public hearings.
Key points
- Republican lawmakers are quickly turning against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, blaming him for the party's midterm losses and the ongoing conflict with Iran.
- Hegseth's vocal cheerleading for the war with Iran and his continued advocacy for escalation have made him a target for Republican lawmakers looking for someone to blame for their party's poor performance.
- Despite efforts to impeach him, Trump still has confidence in Hegseth and has told aides that he believes he should fight back against efforts to impeach him or launch investigations into his decision-making.
