US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing growing pressure to leave his position following heavy Republican losses in the midterm elections, with critics blaming his handling of the Iran war for contributing to the party’s poor performance.
The growing calls for his removal come as Republicans seek to establish responsibility for the election outcome, which saw Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress.
Several US media outlets have reported that Republican lawmakers and allies of President Donald Trump are increasingly directing criticism at Hegseth, arguing that he played a significant role in persuading the president to launch military action against Iran without a clear strategy for ending the conflict.
Vice-President JD Vance has also linked the election defeat to the war, saying the conflict was a major reason Republicans lost control of Congress.
President Trump, however, has publicly defended Hegseth, describing his performance as excellent and saying he intends to keep him in the administration. Trump has also acknowledged receiving calls about the defence secretary’s future.
Hegseth has responded to the criticism by defending his leadership and the military campaign against Iran. In a video statement released on Thursday, he rejected efforts to remove him, describing the impeachment push as politically motivated.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie has threatened to force a vote on impeaching Hegseth as early as next week, adding to the pressure facing the Pentagon chief.
Meanwhile, Democrats are expected to use their new congressional majority to scrutinise the administration’s handling of the Iran war, military leadership changes and other defence decisions.
Although Trump has expressed support for Hegseth, reports suggest the defence secretary’s future remains uncertain as the administration grapples with the political consequences of the Republican election losses.
