White House Denies Hegseth and Rubio Are Leaving Their Jobs
After Republican midterm losses blamed on the Iran war, the White House rejected rumours of a shakeup. A congressman plans an impeachment push against Defence Secretary Hegseth.
The White House has denied rumours that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio could leave after the midterms. Republican losses are being blamed on the Iran war, and Hegseth is under the most pressure.
Hegseth faces calls to go
US media have reported calls to replace Hegseth, particularly over his handling of the Iran war. Trump and Vice-President JD Vance have both blamed the war for the losses that gave Democrats full control of the House and the Senate. The war is now in its ninth month.
An outgoing Republican, Representative Thomas Massie, has threatened to force an impeachment vote against Hegseth. He told Politico he would trigger his resolution early next week. On X he urged the president to replace Hegseth while replacements can still be confirmed in the Senate, before a Democratic-controlled Congress forms in January.
Hegseth posted a video statement defending his record. "You see, they attack me. They attack us because we are effective," he said. He called the impeachment effort a sham, brought by a disgruntled, defeated congressman. He said the department had also delivered on recruitment, the defence industrial base and the removal of diversity initiatives.
What Trump has said
Trump told ABC News he had received calls about Hegseth but had every intention of keeping him. Later on Thursday he told reporters Hegseth has done a fantastic job. He cited the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January and the Iran war.
The Washington Post reported that Trump might be considering ousting General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or Centcom chief Admiral Brad Cooper. Both were closely involved in guiding the war effort.
Rubio says he is staying
Rubio denied reports that he was weighing a departure ahead of a 2028 presidential run. He told The New York Times that working for Trump until the end of the term had always been his plan. The White House and State Department both called the reports fake news.
Separately, there is talk that Hegseth could run for an open Tennessee Senate seat.
Source: BBC News