Trump Backs Hegseth as Anonymous Leaks Drive “Firing” Narrative
The president’s answer was short. Asked directly whether he would fire Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said no and told reporters he thinks Hegseth is doing a very good job. The White House repeated that message, with spokeswoman Anna Kelly saying Trump “has full confidence in Secretary Hegseth.”
That didn’t stop a wave of headlines. CBS News, citing unnamed sources, reported that Trump has been asking advisers whether Hegseth should stay. Most outlets then ran the story as though a firing were coming. Even in CBS’s own account, other sources said the president has not decided to replace Hegseth. A president asking advisers for their views is routine, and it is not the same as a plan to fire anyone.
Who is driving the story
The reporting rests on unnamed people. Those speculating about who should take the fall have an obvious interest, because Washington always looks for a scapegoat after a bad night. The same reports say some aides expect the blame to fall on Adm. Brad Cooper and Gen. Dan Caine, which suggests staffers are positioning themselves rather than describing what Trump has decided.
The record Hegseth’s defenders cite
Supporters point to what the administration says he has accomplished. The White House credited him with reversing the previous administration’s emphasis on “DEI and woke ideology” at the Pentagon and praised the military operations in Iran and Venezuela. To his defenders, a secretary who carries out the commander in chief’s strategy and drops the politicized culture war inside the ranks is doing what voters elected Trump to get done.
Midterm blame is not that simple
Republicans took heavy losses, and the party is not pretending otherwise. Vice President JD Vance blamed the war, saying “the reason we lost is the war.” Trump has acknowledged the war cost votes but says he would do it again. Conservatives who back the president’s Iran policy argue that this is a debate about strategy and gas prices, which are decisions the president made, and that Hegseth’s departure would not change them. Dismissing the Pentagon chief for carrying out a policy the president stands behind would look like a concession to critics.
The real fight ahead
Defenders say the bigger threat to Hegseth is on Capitol Hill. Democrats were already pursuing impeachment against him before the election, and that effort could pick up with their strong majorities in both chambers. They argue that handing Democrats a resignation or a firing would only encourage a Congress hungry to investigate the administration.
The DeSantis idea
One source told CBS that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been floated as a replacement, with a confirmation vote during the lame-duck session and a start date after his term as governor ends Jan. 5. The report is unconfirmed and no one has said DeSantis is interested. Supporters of the secretary read it as chatter that fits the anonymous-leak pattern, and they note the president has already addressed the question publicly.
