LAHORE MIRROR — President Donald Trump has publicly stood by War Secretary Pete Hegseth despite growing speculation over his future following the Republican Party’s heavy midterm election losses, as the political fallout from the Iran war intensifies pressure on the Pentagon chief.
Trump said Hegseth was doing “a very good job” when asked whether he was considering replacing him, offering a strong public endorsement just as Republicans assess the scale of their electoral defeat.
The comments came after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, a result widely linked to voter frustration over economic pressures and the continuing fallout from the Iran war.
According to Fox News, the conflict and its economic consequences became a major political burden for the Trump administration, with Hegseth among the most prominent defenders of the military campaign.
A White House official told Fox News that the election results “would have looked very different” without the Iran war. The official suggested Trump could ultimately hold Hegseth accountable as the administration enters the lame-duck period.
A former White House staffer was even more blunt, telling Fox News that Hegseth was “on the chopping block.” Another administration official said there were signs he could be removed but stressed that Trump could change his mind quickly.
However, the president’s public position remains clear for now. Reuters also reported that Trump rejected the idea of immediately replacing Hegseth, despite sources suggesting that the president could still reconsider as Republicans examine the reasons behind their defeat.
The Iran war has placed Hegseth at the center of the administration’s political troubles. He was one of the campaign’s strongest advocates and publicly defended US military action against Tehran.
While sustained US strikes have ended, tensions with Iran remain unresolved. Concerns continue over Tehran’s nuclear and missile capabilities, while renewed American military action remains under serious consideration, according to sources cited in the Fox News report.
That possibility could complicate any immediate change at the Pentagon. Replacing the defence chief while the White House considers further military operations could create uncertainty within the US military at a critical moment.
Meanwhile, the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress is expected to intensify scrutiny of Hegseth, the Iran war and Pentagon leadership. Investigations and possible impeachment efforts are among the options being discussed.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has separately vowed to force a vote on his impeachment resolution during the lame-duck session if Hegseth remains in office.
Pentagon officials, however, insist that Hegseth is committed to staying. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told Fox News that the secretary remains “100% committed” to leading the department until the end of Trump’s term.
The controversy surrounding Hegseth has also drawn comparisons with 2006, when President George W. Bush announced the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld following major Republican midterm losses amid public anger over the Iraq War.
For now, Trump is standing by Hegseth. But with Democrats preparing congressional investigations, Republicans searching for answers after their election defeat and the Iran conflict still shaping US politics, pressure on the Pentagon chief is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
