Trump has 'every intention' of keeping Hegseth in Cabinet

Hegseth was an unconventional hire and has long faced pressure from establishment lawmakers over his attempts to reinvent the culture within the Pentagon.

By Ben Whedon

Published: November 5, 2026 9:48am

President Donald Trump on Thursday indicated that he planned to retain Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as lawmakers mull impeachment for the former Fox News commentator and rumors swirl of a potential firing.

Hegseth was an unconventional hire and has long faced pressure from establishment lawmakers over his attempts to reinvent the culture within the Pentagon. Speculation has swirled that he could become the fall guy for the Republican midterm wipe out.

But Trump told ABC News's Jonathan Karl that "I have every intention to keep him," while acknowledging that he received "calls" about Hegseth.

After Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress on Tuesday night, many pundits opined that it was largely due to voter frustrations to the economy, which many linked to the Iran war.

Hegseth, a proponent of the conflict, could conceivably fall into the crosshairs of an administration seeking a scapegoat, but Trump, for now, seems disinterested in such a move.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.