Why Trump needs to dump Hegseth in the next month and who could replace him

As the dust settles on one of the biggest US electoral defeats in recent memory, the blame game among Republicans has already begun. Vice President JD Vance wasted little time in identifying the cause of the party’s woes: a deeply unpopular war with Iran. While Donald Trump ultimately decided to initiate that conflict, he could not have received more encouragement from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who remains insistent the now nine-month war has been a resounding success for America and the world. For Republicans, and potentially a President, looking for a fall-guy, Hegseth ticks many boxes and at least one party member has already backed an effort to remove him from office – potentially as soon as next week. However, if Trump does decide to mirror George Bush’s ousting of Donald Rumsfeld he will have to move quickly to appoint a successor, with Democrat control of Congress creating a significant hurdle for appointing a new Secretary. Will Trump fire Hegseth? Hegseth has been one of Trump’s most loyal and passionate supporters throughout the President’s second term. The President has backed his Defence Secretary despite a scandal in which Hegseth shared classified information with members of a group chat, and through intense scrutiny over his purges of high-level military officials and efforts to restrict journalists’ access to the Pentagon. Trump has also praised Hegseth for overseeing a controversial campaign of strikes against what both men claim are “narcoterrorists” in the Pacific, as well as for how US forces have carried out the war with Iran.He publicly doubled down on that praise on Thursday, telling reporters at the White House Hegseth was doing “a fantastic job”. Privately, however, reports have emerged the President is considering replacing the self-styled “Secretary of War”. CBS News, citing multiple sources with knowledge of the discussions, said Trump had spent time on Wednesday asking advisers whether Hegseth should remain in his post. Trump has acknowledged the unpopularity of the Iran war played a role in Republicans’ midterm defeat at the ballot box, although it is unclear how much the President believes Hegseth shares blame for the way it impacted voters. For many Republicans, though, the Defence Secretary’s actions and rhetoric about the war were viewed as severely damaging, even before the midterms. One, Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, had already attempted to begin an impeachment of Hegseth, signalling any forthcoming Democrat effort to oust the Defence Secretary could enjoy a level of bipartisan support. It is possible Trump may reach an agreement with Hegseth to ensure his departure in order to spare his ally from such a process. Even Massie, writing on social media, suggested his proposed method of removal would be “a much gentler version of what’s coming when Dem’s control Congress”. Hegseth has been one of Trump’s most loyal and passionate supporters (Photo: Finn Gomez/Getty Images) Trump may be further motivated to reach some kind of agreement if Hegseth, who has long-term political ambitions, were able to secure another position elsewhere, such as a House or Senate seat. One such post has just become vacant, with Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn due to vacate her seat when she assumes governorship of the state in January. Blackburn could appoint Hegseth to see out the remainder of her term. When asked about the possibility by reporters on Thursday, Trump replied: “I actually think he’d be very popular if he did that”. Hegseth, though, has given no indication he is willing to step aside. In a lengthy video message published on Thursday, the Defence Secretary hit back at critics and appeared to challenge his opponents to launch an impeachment effort. “It’s all about the politics of personal destruction,” he declared. “Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me. You can rest assured of that.” Why would Trump need to act quickly? If Trump does decide to part ways with Hegseth, he will need to do so fast. Being appointed Defence Secretary, like all US cabinet posts, requires a candidate to be confirmed by the Senate, a chamber which is about to fall under Democrat control. It is highly unlikely Trump would be able to secure the support needed from Democrats to appoint a new Secretary willing to run the Pentagon in the same manner as Hegseth, or who would be so openly loyal to the President’s agenda. However, there remains one legislative session, known as the “lame duck” session, scheduled before Republicans lose their majorities in both houses, handing Trump the opportunity to try and force through a nomination. If the President is keen to protect Hegseth from impeachment, he may need to act quicker still. In an interview with Politico on Thursday, Massie said he would use the upcoming House session to launch his effort to remove the Defence Secretary – potentially as soon as Wednesday. With Republicans likely to struggle to muster votes given many members choose to sit out “lame duck” sessions after losing their seats, it is possible the party could fail to prevent the measure passing. It is not immediately clear who the frontrunners to replace Hegseth would be should Trump dismiss him. The biggest name linked to the role is outgoing Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who some reports have suggested would have enough backing to clear the Senate confirmation process before Democrats take control. Trump and DeSantis have a mixed relationship. The pair were once close, but the Florida Governor’s presidential challenge saw them exchange barbs. DeSantis has not ruled out launching another shot at the presidency once Trump’s term comes to an end, potentially making it unlikely he would accept any offer to serve as Defence Secretary. Another presidential hopeful, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has seen his name floated in some quarters, but given his own ambitions a switch of portfolio would come as a surprise.