Trump says he won’t fire Defense Secretary Hegseth following midterms blowout

US President Donald Trump listens as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a roundtable event in the East Room of the White House, October 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
US President Donald Trump listens as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks at a roundtable event in the East Room of the White House, October 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

US President Donald Trump rules out firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth despite Republicans suffering bruising midterm election losses that Trump has attributed to fallout from the war against Iran. US Vice President JD Vance has blamed the election result on the war.

“No, I think he’s doing a very good job,” Trump says when asked if he is considering replacing Hegseth, a staunch proponent of military action against the Islamic Republic.

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.