President Trump has denied that he’s considering firing War Secretary Pete Hegseth after CBS News reported that the president had asked his top aides whether the Pentagon chief should keep his job after the Republican defeat in the midterm elections.
The Atlantic also reported before the midterms that Trump questioned allies about Hegseth’s performance, as he may be looking for a potential fall guy for the Iran war. But when asked on Wednesday if he was considering replacing Hegseth, the president said, “No, I think he’s doing a very good job.”
The president did suggest that he may favor the idea of him taking Marsha Blackburn’s Senate seat after she won the Tennessee governor race. “I think he’s doing a very good job, and I actually think he’d be very popular if he did that,” Trump said when asked about the possibility. “But I haven’t heard that at all.”
The Hill recently reported that Hegseth was interested in the open Senate seat, which expires in 2031, and is campaigning behind the scenes for the position.
Hegseth will soon be facing an impeachment vote in the House, likely not long after Congress returns to session next week. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced a resolution to impeach the Pentagon chief back in September, and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) sent lawmakers home early for the midterm recess to avoid the vote.
Massie told Roll Call last week that the impeachment would be a “week one” issue for the lame-duck House session. “I’m not sure if I would do it the night we get back, but it would be soon after we return — if he’s still in the job,” he said.
The Kentucky congressman also thinks the resolution has a good chance of passing. “I give it better than a 50 percent chance of passing,” he said. Massie explained that he believes all the Democrats will likely vote for it and that he may get a handful of Republicans.
Following the midterm blowout, Massie may get the GOP votes needed for the impeachment, as it’s clear the Iran war and its consequences were a leading cause of the election results, and Hegseth is known as one of the war’s biggest cheerleaders within the administration.
Massie’s resolution includes eight articles of impeachment and targets Hegseth over a number of issues, including the Iran war, which was launched without congressional authorization and has continued despite Congress passing a concurrent War Powers Resolution directing the president to end the conflict.
One of the articles details how Hegseth has ignored US laws meant to minimize civilian casualties, and references the February 28 US strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran, which killed at least 156 civilians, including 120 children.
