US President Donald Trump’s administration is facing fresh questions over the future of two of its most prominent Cabinet members, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, following
the Republican Party’s shocking losses in the midterm elections.
While the White House has dismissed speculation of an imminent Cabinet shake-up, Hegseth is facing mounting pressure over his handling of the war with Iran, with a Republican lawmaker threatening to push for his impeachment as early as next week.
Rubio, meanwhile, has rejected reports that he is considering leaving the administration to prepare for a possible 2028 presidential run, insisting that serving Trump until the end of his term remains his plan.
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The contrasting positions come at a difficult moment for the Trump administration, with Democrats having secured control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections. The outcome has triggered a debate within Republican ranks over the political and economic consequences of the Iran war, which has entered its ninth month.
Why Is Pete Hegseth Facing Pressure?
Hegseth’s position has come under scrutiny following reports that some Republicans and administration insiders are holding him responsible for the party’s electoral setbacks, particularly over his handling of the Iran conflict.
The pressure comes even as Trump has publicly defended his Defence Secretary. In a telephone interview with ABC News, the US President acknowledged receiving “calls about” Hegseth but said he had “every intention” of keeping him.
Trump subsequently reiterated his support, telling reporters at the White House that “Pete Hegseth has done a fantastic job”. He also cited what he considered the administration’s achievements under Hegseth, including the January arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the military campaign against Iran.
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However, the growing criticism has put Hegseth in a difficult position, with some Republicans arguing that the administration’s assessment of the Iran war and its prospects was overly optimistic.
Vice-President JD Vance has also openly blamed the conflict for the party’s defeat. In a post on X following the election results, Vance said: “The reason we lost is the war.” He further questioned whether the military campaign was worth the political cost, saying: “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so.”
Trump, on the other hand, has acknowledged that the war contributed to the Republican losses but maintained that the decision to launch it was justified. In an interview with Reuters, he said he would have taken the same decision again.
Republican Lawmaker Threatens Impeachment Vote Against Hegseth
Adding to Hegseth’s troubles, Republican Representative Thomas Massie has threatened to revive his impeachment effort against the Defence Secretary, with a vote potentially coming as early as next week.
Massie told Politico that he would trigger his resolution to impeach Hegseth when lawmakers return to Washington. He has also urged Trump to replace the Defence Secretary before Democrats take control of Congress in January. “He should do it while he can still get the replacements confirmed in the Senate,” Massie wrote on X.
The impeachment push is not entirely new. Massie had earlier introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of carrying out military operations against Iran without congressional authorisation, among other alleged abuses of office. The resolution had been held up ahead of the midterm elections.
Hegseth has responded by defending his record and attacking the impeachment effort. In a video statement, he described it as a “sham articles of impeachment” effort led by a “disgruntled, defeated congressman, along with all his Democrat allies”.
“You see, they attack me. They attack us because we are effective,” he said. “It’s not going to work. We will not back down.”
Listing the department’s achievements under his leadership, Hegseth said it had revived military recruitment, rebuilt the defence industrial base and rooted out diversity initiatives as part of Trump’s America First agenda.
Taking aim at Democrats, he said: “Their policies don’t work. So their obsession with political theatre disguised as power drives them to try to destroy their opponents. It’s all about the politics of personal destruction.”
Is Rubio Planning To Leave The Trump Administration?
While Hegseth’s political future remains uncertain, Rubio has firmly rejected speculation that he could leave the administration following the Republican electoral setback.
Reports had suggested that the Secretary of State was considering his options ahead of a possible presidential campaign in 2028. Bloomberg News, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that Rubio and his advisers were weighing his future, although no decision or timeline for a possible departure had been established.
The White House and the State Department dismissed the reports as “fake news”.
Rubio also addressed the speculation in an interview with The New York Times, saying that continuing to work for Trump until the end of his presidential term had “always been my plan”. “I love the work I’m doing,” Rubio said. “And plus I always laugh when they say he’s going to leave his job. I go, ‘Which one?'”
Rubio’s remarks come amid growing speculation over the Republican field for the 2028 presidential election. The former Florida senator, who contested the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, is frequently mentioned as a potential contender.
However, he declined to engage further with questions about a possible presidential bid, saying: “I literally will not talk about 2028 anymore. I just won’t do it.”
The State Department also pushed back against reports of his possible departure, insisting that Rubio remained focused on carrying out Trump’s agenda.
Could Other Senior Military Officials Face The Heat?
Hegseth is not the only senior defence official whose position has come under scrutiny following the Republican defeat.
The Washington Post reported that Trump could also consider removing General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM). Both have played significant roles in advising the administration on the Iran war.
According to the report, some officials believe the military leadership provided overly optimistic assessments of the conflict’s progress and failed to adequately communicate the risks and costs involved.
Cooper, who has been closely involved in directing the military campaign, had reportedly visited the White House in the days before the election to recommend further military action against Iran.
Caine, meanwhile, has reportedly expressed concerns about the impact of the conflict on the US military’s ability to conduct future operations, including questions over ammunition supplies and the absence of support from allies beyond Israel.
The developments point to a difficult post-election period for Trump, who must contend with growing criticism of the Iran war, an impending Democratic-controlled Congress and questions over accountability within his own administration.
