Trump asking advisers if Hegseth should go, sources say

President Donald Trump has been consulting advisers, in person and by phone, about whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should keep his post, multiple sources told CBS News. The conversations came after Republicans suffered heavy losses in Tuesday's midterm elections. Other sources said Trump has not made a decision to replace him.

The political stakes may be rising for the Pentagon chief. Democrats had already been pursuing impeachment of Hegseth before the vote, and their strong majorities in both chambers could make that push more likely. Some White House aides expect blame for the election results to fall on Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. Central Command, and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, since both helped shape the approach to the Iran war. Vice President JD Vance, in a long Wednesday morning post on X, pinned the defeat on that conflict.

One source told CBS News that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is being discussed as a successor. The idea is that the Senate could confirm him during the lame-duck session, and he would step in once his governorship ends on Jan. 5. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump has full confidence in Hegseth.

Summarized by PolitiKool from CBS News’s reporting. Read the full story at CBS News →