White House denies Hegseth and Rubio exit rumors after losses
File photo: REUTERS
White House has rejected rumors suggesting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio might step down from their positions during a post-election reorganization of the Trump administration.
US media outlets reported mounting pressure to replace Hegseth, pointing specifically to his handling of the war in Iran, which critics blame for major Republican election losses.
Escalating the political tension, an outgoing Republican member of Congress threatened to force an impeachment vote targeting Hegseth as early as next week.
Responding to the threat, the defense secretary released a video statement defending his record while denouncing the initiative. Hegseth declared, “You see, they attack me. They attack us because we are effective. It’s not going to work. We will not back down.”
At the same time, Rubio dismissed reports alleging that he is considering resigning from his post ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run. In an interview with The New York Times, Rubio said remaining in his position under President Donald Trump until the end of his term has “always been my plan.”
He added, “I love the work I’m doing. And plus I always laugh when they say he’s going to leave his job. I go, ‘Which one?’”
Both the White House and the US Department of State shut down reports regarding Rubio’s potential departure following this week’s midterm losses, calling the claims “fake news”.
In contrast, the Defense Secretary confronts a more uncertain political outlook. Trump and Vice President JD Vance both attributed Republican election defeats - which handed Democrats full control of the US House of Representatives and the Senate - to the Iran war.
Speaking in a telephone interview with ABC News, Trump acknowledged that he had received “calls about” Hegseth, but affirmed that he has “every intention” of keeping him in his administration.
Later on Thursday, Trump told reporters at the White House that “Pete Hegseth has done a fantastic job”, proceeding to list several of his accomplishments, including the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January and the war in Iran, now entering its ninth month.
The Washington Post reported on Thursday that Trump might be considering ousting General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or Centcom chief Admiral Brad Cooper. Both military leaders played significant roles in offering guidance on the war, which began eight months ago.
Meanwhile, Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a frequent critic of Trump, announced plans to push ahead with efforts to impeach Hegseth. Massie told news site Politico that he will trigger his resolution to impeach the Defense Secretary early next week.
Writing on X, Massie warned that the president should replace Hegseth before a new Democrat-controlled Congress convenes in January, saying, “He should do it while he can still get the replacements confirmed in the Senate.”
Reports have also rumored that Hegseth is interested in running for an open Tennessee Senate seat. Addressing his critics in his video statement, Hegseth denounced the “sham articles of impeachment” effort pushed by a “disgruntled, defeated congressman, along with all his Democrat allies”, while outlining how the department has fulfilled Trump’s America First agenda under his stewardship.
He cited key achievements, including reviving military recruitment, rebuilding the defense industrial base, and rooting out diversity initiatives. Denouncing Democrats, Hegseth said, “Their policies don’t work. So, their obsession with political theatre disguised as power drives them to try to destroy their opponents. It’s all about the politics of personal destruction.”
Source: BBC (adapted)
