Following the Republican Party’s crushing defeat in the US midterm elections, rumors have emerged regarding a potential shake-up within President Donald Trump’s administration. Reports have suggested that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio might resign; however, the White House has dismissed these claims as “fake.”
According to US media outlets, there is internal pressure within the administration to remove Hegseth, partly due to his role in managing the war with Iran—a conflict viewed as a contributing factor to the Republicans’ significant losses in the midterm elections.
Meanwhile, outgoing Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has announced plans to introduce an impeachment motion against Hegseth. He told Politico that he intends to bring the motion forward early next week. In response, the Secretary of Defense defended his actions in a video message, while also sharply criticizing the impeachment effort.
“Look, they attack me. They attack us because we are capable of getting things done,” Hegseth said. “It won’t work. We aren’t backing down.”
Separately, Marco Rubio has dismissed reports suggesting he plans to step down as Secretary of State before the 2028 presidential election. In an interview with The New York Times, he stated that his plan had always been to serve for the duration of Trump’s term.
“I love the work I’m doing,” Rubio remarked. “And when people say I’m going to quit, I just laugh and ask—quit what job?”
Both the White House and the US State Department have rejected reports that Rubio might resign following the Republican midterm defeat, with both sides labeling such claims as “fake news.” However, there is greater uncertainty surrounding Hegseth’s political future. Both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance have blamed the war with Iran for the Republican Party’s electoral defeat—a loss that has paved the way for the Democrats to take control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In a telephone interview with ABC News, Trump stated that he had received calls from various parties regarding Hegseth, but emphasized that he has a “full desire” to keep the Secretary of Defense in his position.
On Thursday, he also remarked to reporters at the White House, “Pete Hegseth has done an extraordinary job.”
Trump highlighted several military successes achieved under Hegseth’s leadership, including the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January and the ongoing conflict in Iran.
Meanwhile, a report by The Washington Post suggests that Trump may also consider removing General Dan Kane, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Admiral Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM—both of whom have played key roles in managing the war with Iran over the past eight months.
Separately, Republican Representative Thomas Massie remains firm in his intention to introduce a motion to impeach Hegseth. He told Politico that he plans to bring the motion forward early next week.
In a post on the social media platform X, Massie warned Trump that Hegseth should be removed before the new, Democrat-controlled Congress takes office in January. He argued that this decision needs to be made while there is still an opportunity to secure Senate confirmation for alternative candidates.
There is also speculation that Hegseth might be interested in running for the vacant Senate seat in Tennessee.
In a video message, however, the Secretary of Defense dismissed the impeachment effort against him as “bogus.”
He claimed that the initiative was orchestrated by a disgruntled, defeated member of Congress in collaboration with his Democratic allies. Hegseth also outlined several steps he intends to take within the Department of Defense—under his leadership—to implement Trump’s “America First” policy.
These include revitalizing military recruitment, rebuilding the defense industrial base, and halting initiatives centered on diversity.
Criticizing the Democrats, Hegseth argued that their policies are ineffective; instead, he claimed, they are preoccupied with political theater and attempts to destroy their opponents. In his words, “It is entirely a politics of personal destruction.”
