Trump considers replacing Pete Hegseth at Pentagon
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on La Nouvelle Tribune
Donald Trump has asked several advisers whether he should keep Pete Hegseth as US defence secretary after the Republican defeat in the midterm elections. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is among the possible successors, while Trump publicly says he has confidence in Hegseth, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Donald Trump is privately considering whether Pete Hegseth should remain US defence secretary and has asked several advisers whether he should stay in office, according to the Wall Street Journal, cited by La Nouvelle Tribune. The consideration comes the day after the Republican Party’s defeat in the 3 November midterm elections, in which Democrats regained the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, has been mentioned as a possible successor. Some of Donald Trump’s advisers believe Pete Hegseth could bear part of the responsibility for the defeat, while Admiral Brad Cooper and General Dan Caine could also be held accountable. Pete Hegseth has led the Pentagon since January 2025 and dismissed or forced at least 17 senior officers to resign in the spring.
Donald Trump publicly defended his secretary, saying he was doing “a very good job” and that he had “heard nothing of the sort” regarding a possible transfer of Pete Hegseth to the Tennessee Senate. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that the president had “full confidence” in him. People close to the defence secretary say he wants to remain in office until the end of the term, according to the Washington Post, cited by La Nouvelle Tribune.
The war against Iran, launched on 28 February by a US-Israeli offensive, has been identified by several Republican officials as a factor in the defeat. Donald Trump acknowledged to the Wall Street Journal that it “was a factor”. Vice-President J. D. Vance also attributed the Republican defeat to the war in Iran.
