Vance blames Iran war for Republican defeat, Trump rules out firing Hegseth

Vice President JD Vance has blamed the war against Iran for the Republicans’ defeat in the midterm elections. In a long post on X on Wednesday morning, he wrote: “The reason we lost is the war.”¹ At the same time, CBS reported that Donald Trump is asking advisers whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth should keep his post. Asked by reporters, Trump replied: “No, I think he’s doing a good job.”²¹

What Vance said about the defeat

The Democrats won a majority in both chambers of Congress. According to Dawn, citing Reuters, the vote reflected voters’ anger over the war against Iran.³ Vance publicly questioned whether the conflict was worth the price paid and argued that it cost the Republicans control of Congress.³

Who Hegseth is and what role he plays in the war with Iran

Pete Hegseth heads the Pentagon and is considered the person in charge of the military campaign against Iran. On March 23, Trump had described him as the first to back the intervention, on the grounds that Tehran could not be allowed to keep a nuclear weapon.²³ Hegseth is a divisive figure and has opponents even among Republicans. Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment this year, the act that starts the process of formally charging an official, accusing him of starting hostilities without Congress’s approval. Republican Senator Thom Tillis told CBS that “a day of reckoning” is coming for Hegseth.³

The CBS reports and Trump’s denial

According to CBS, after the party’s heavy losses on Tuesday night, Trump is sounding out those around him on Hegseth’s future. Other sources cited by the network say the president has not yet made a decision.¹ A source told CBS that the name of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is circulating for the Pentagon. He could be confirmed by the Senate during the transition period and take office when his term as governor ends on January 5. A Trump adviser told Reuters that Hegseth “could be on the blacklist” because of the war.³¹ Trump also said Hegseth would be “very popular” if he were appointed to the Senate seat that Republican Marsha Blackburn will vacate as she takes over as governor of Tennessee. He added that he had not heard about this possibility.¹ White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said the president has “full confidence” in the secretary. The Pentagon said Hegseth is “100 percent” committed to leading the department until the end of Trump’s term on January 20, 2029.³¹

Why Hegseth risks impeachment

The Democrats’ push against Hegseth did not begin with this vote, as it was already under way. With the solid majorities won in the House and Senate, CBS believes the chances of a renewed push in this direction could grow.¹ Agi also notes that resigning or being replaced might not be enough to avoid the procedure. The precedent is that of William Belknap, secretary of war under President Ulysses Grant, who resigned in 1876.²

This article was written by artificial intelligence from the sources cited, without human review. Automatic newsroom by Redazia.

Sources

Footnotes

1. Trump asking advisers if Hegseth should stay after midterm losses, sources say - CBS News, cbsnews.com ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

2. Vance: “Abbiamo perso per colpa della guerra”. Trump smentisce le voci: “Non licenzio Hegseth”, agi.it, 2026-11-05 ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. Trump says Hegseth doing ‘a very good job’ as questions swirl about defence secretary’s future, Dawn, 2026-11-05 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶