Trump Weighs Replacing Pentagon Chief Hegseth After Republican Midterm Losses

In brief

• Trump has reportedly discussed replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with advisers after Republican midterm losses.
• Publicly, Trump has said he is satisfied with Hegseth's performance and does not plan to fire him.
• No decision on Hegseth's future has been announced.

Private talks about a possible replacement

According to CBS News, Trump has asked advisers and people he speaks with by phone whether he should remove Hegseth from his post at the Pentagon. The questions came after a sharp defeat for Republicans in the congressional elections held on Tuesday (Трамп обсуждал с советниками возможную замену Хегсета после поражения республиканцев на выборах — CBS News – NV) (Hegseth może stracić stanowisko. Trump szuka winnych wyborczej klęski – Rzeczpospolita) (Hegseth na powyborczym celowniku? Media: Trump pyta, czy zwolnić szefa Pentagonu – Bankier.pl).

Public stance contrasts with private discussions

In public, Trump has said he is pleased with how Hegseth is doing his job and that he does not intend to dismiss him. The gap between those remarks and the private discussions reported by CBS is the central point of the story.

Background on the election and the Pentagon

The midterm results have prompted the White House to look for explanations for the Republican setback, and reporting links the Pentagon chief's future to that search. Some outlets refer to Hegseth as secretary of war, reflecting the Pentagon's secondary name.

What happens next

No decision on Hegseth's future has been announced. Reporting so far rests on CBS's account of the internal discussions, and the White House has not confirmed any plan to replace him.