Republicans believe Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will be the high-profile scalp Donald Trump offers up after Tuesday’s midterm disaster.
The president is desperately looking for someone to blame for the crushing electoral wipeout that saw Democrats sweep control of the House and Senate, with one Trump adviser telling Axios that Hegseth is “definitely on thin ice.”
“It doesn’t mean the president forces him out. But there are complications,” the adviser added.
Intense voter backlash against the deeply unpopular war in Iran, which caused gas prices to soar and further exacerbated the cost-of-living crisis for millions, has been widely cited as a reason for Tuesday’s blue tsunami.
The defense secretary is one of the key faces of the disastrous Middle East conflict, which has dragged on for more than eight months with no end in sight, meaning Hegseth is seen as a necessary sacrificial lamb.
“Somebody’s gotta take the fall, and Pete is moving to the top of the list,” a U.S. official said.
An administration official added to Axios that Tuesday’s midterm results would have “looked very different” without the Iran war, and that Trump may act before Democrats retake control of Congress in January.
“I believe you’ll ultimately see POTUS hold Pete Hegseth accountable, and that will play out in the lame duck,” they said.
Some Republicans also believe Trump has an incentive to act decisively on Hegseth now. The defense secretary faces possible impeachment as early as next week, and scores of outgoing House Republicans have little reason to keep defending the constantly embattled Pentagon chief.
Trump will also have little hope of getting his next pick to lead the Pentagon confirmed by the Senate next year, once Democrats have such significant control of the upper chamber.
“No one’s getting confirmed” in the new Congress, a senior White House official told Axios. “We’re operating under that premise.”
Trump could also fire Hegseth soon while still providing him with a political lifeline.
Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn is due to vacate her seat after winning Tuesday’s race to become the state’s next governor. Once she takes office, she will appoint someone to fill the seat, with Hegseth considered a possible choice.
Trump even expressed support for the idea while speaking to reporters on Wednesday. “I actually think he’d be very popular if he did that. But I haven’t heard that at all.”
In a statement, Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told the Daily Beast: “Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists. The Department of War has followed the law and our Secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops, and protect America.
“We will continue to drive President Trump’s agenda at the Department of War—despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats—and Secretary Hegseth is 100 percent committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office.”
