Hegseth's future draws ominous predictions from insiders after GOP losses, but Trump isn't budging yet
President Donald Trump stood by War Secretary Pete Hegseth Wednesday, saying he was doing "a very good job" even as current and former administration figures continued to question how long...
By Fox News · Fox News
President Donald Trump stood by War Secretary Pete Hegseth Wednesday, saying he was doing "a very good job" even as current and former administration figures continued to question how long the Pentagon chief could remain in his post after Republicans’ bruising midterm losses. "I think he’s doing a very good job," Trump said Wednesday when asked by the media whether he was considering replacing Hegseth. The public support came a day after Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections, setting the stage for a shift in power on Capitol Hill in January. The Iran war and its economic fallout loomed large in the election, with Hegseth among the administration's most vocal advocates for the campaign. His future remains the subject of speculation among current and former administration figures despite Trump's public backing. TRUMP PLEDGES TO VETO 'INSANE' DEM BILLS, PINPOINTS ISSUE PARTIALLY TO BLAME FOR REPUBLICAN LOSSES A White House official told Fox News Digital Tuesday that the election results "would have looked very different without the Iran War." The official predicted Trump would ultimately hold Hegseth, a former Fox News host, accountable, saying, "That will play out in the lame duck." "Hegseth is on the chopping block," a former White House staffer told Fox News Digital later Tuesday of Hegseth's future. An administration official said there were "signs" Hegseth could be ousted but added that "Trump can turn on a dime." The official said the possibility had been discussed for some time, though "only Trump knows what he’s gonna do." "It was clear Bessent became the go-to after Pete couldn't deliver an Iran victory," the source said, referring to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who led the sanctions campaign against Iran known as Operation Economic Outcast. Beyond the Iran war, Hegseth also championed a plan to livestream the firi…