▲ U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump is discussing with close aides whether to replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following the midterm elections, CBS News reported on November 4 (local time).
As the war with Iran is being pointed to as the reason for the crushing defeat in the midterms, Secretary Hegseth's future has also come under scrutiny.
Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is reportedly being floated as a potential successor to Hegseth.
A source shared that a plan has been raised for Governor DeSantis to receive Senate confirmation before the new Congress convenes and take over as defense secretary after his gubernatorial term ends on January 5 of next year.
Some White House aides are also known to have brought up accountability issues regarding Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Brad Cooper, who oversees military operations in the Middle East.
However, it is reported that President Trump has not yet made a decision to replace Secretary Hegseth.
When asked by reporters on November 4 whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, President Trump answered, "No. I think he's doing a very good job."
The White House also stated that President Trump has full confidence in Secretary Hegseth.
Nevertheless, within the Republican Party, the war with Iran is being singled out as the cause of the midterm election defeat.
Vice President JD Vance stated in a post on X on November 4, "The reason we lost is because of the war."
The Democratic Party has been pushing for the impeachment of Secretary Hegseth since the midterm elections.
With Democrats securing solid majorities in both the Senate and the House in this election, outlooks suggest that the push to impeach Secretary Hegseth could gain further momentum.
Meanwhile, forecasts also suggest that Secretary Hegseth could transition to a U.S. Senate seat after stepping down from his cabinet position.
The idea is that Hegseth could be placed in the Senate seat left vacant by Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn as she assumes office as governor.
In Tennessee, if a federal Senate seat becomes vacant before the term is completed, the state legislature appoints a successor senator to prevent a vacancy until the next election.
Regarding this plan, President Trump remarked, "I haven't heard about that at all," but added, "If that were to happen, he would be very popular."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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