WASHINGTON — President Trump insisted Thursday that he has “every intention” of retaining Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as pressure grows to make the Pentagon chief the scapegoat for Tuesday’s sweeping Democratic victories in the midterm elections.
“I have every intention to keep him,” Trump told ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl. “I get these calls, you know, about him. I don’t understand why.”
Hegseth has faced an avalanche of criticism over his handling of the war in Iran, for which he has been a strong advocate and for which top administration figures like Vice President JD Vance have blamed Democrats racking up wins in House and Senate races across the country.
Several Republicans, such as retiring Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, have nudged Trump to sack Hegseth and replace him while Republicans still have a Senate majority.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives could vote on a resolution to impeach Hegseth as soon as next week, when it returns for its lame-duck session.
Democrats have signaled they plan to pursue the former Fox News host if he is still in charge of the military when the new Congress is sworn in Jan. 3.
