President Donald Trump is reportedly considering removing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the November midterm elections as frustration surrounding the war with Iran continues to build.
The claim comes from political commentator Dominic Michael Tripi, who said Trump is weighing whether to fire Hegseth in an effort to distance himself from an increasingly unpopular conflict and preserve his reputation as an anti-war president. Pasted text
“Trump reportedly considering firing Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth after the midterms in an effort to take the blame of the unpopular Iran war off of himself and onto Hegseth in order to ‘protect his legacy’ and ‘reputation as an anti-war president,’” Tripi wrote.
Tripi did not identify where the information came from.
Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky responded by pointing to former President George W. Bush’s decision to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld shortly after Republicans suffered major losses in the 2006 midterms during the Iraq War.
Hegseth remains in his position for now, and Trump has not announced any decision to remove him.
Still, reports of internal tension come as Hegseth faces mounting criticism over his management of the Pentagon.
Several senior military officers have been removed during his tenure, while his relationship with members of Congress has also faced scrutiny.
Sen. Thom Tillis, who supported Hegseth during his confirmation process, recently criticized his relationship with lawmakers.
“I don’t think Hegseth has developed any productive relationships, even with Republican members,” Tillis said.
The reported tension also comes as the war with Iran has continued far longer than originally anticipated.
The conflict began in February and has stretched for months, while rising fuel prices have placed additional pressure on American consumers.
Trump has publicly praised Hegseth in the past and even joked earlier this year that the defense secretary “loves war.”
Behind the scenes, however, their relationship has reportedly become more strained.
Trump was reportedly frustrated with Hegseth earlier this year over shortages involving critical U.S. military munitions.
More recently, Trump said American forces would not launch additional attacks on Iran before the November 3 election.
That announcement did not resolve the broader conflict, however, and the war remains a major issue heading into the midterms.
Hegseth has also drawn attention over his announcement involving the planned execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of murdering 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009.
Hegseth said the firing-squad execution would be livestreamed, although Vice President JD Vance later expressed doubts that the execution would ultimately be carried out in that form, per AOL.
The proposal generated significant backlash and added another controversy to Hegseth’s tenure.
Trump has previously shown a willingness to remove high-profile administration officials when political tensions begin affecting his presidency.
Whether Hegseth will ultimately face the same fate remains uncertain.
For now, there has been no official announcement from Trump or the White House confirming that Hegseth will be removed.
But if the reported discussions are accurate, the weeks immediately following the midterm elections could bring a major shake-up at the Pentagon.
