The prospect of new U.S. strikes against Iran could prompt President Donald Trump to keep his Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, in office despite mounting political pressure facing him in Washington.<\/p>\n
CNN reported on Thursday, citing a source familiar with Trump’s thinking, that the president may find himself more determined to keep Hegseth in his position if he decides to move forward with new strikes against Tehran.<\/p>\n
The source explained that Democrats securing a majority in the Senate following the midterm elections could make it more difficult to confirm a new defense secretary, increasing the importance of Hegseth remaining in his post for the U.S. administration.<\/p>\n
This comes as Trump has yet to make a decision on changes to his Cabinet, according to sources, despite the political fallout from the war with Iran and the Republicans’ electoral losses.<\/p>\n
In this context, White House officials confirmed that Trump’s confidence in Hegseth remains unaffected so far, even as the president continues to seek his allies’ views on the defense secretary’s performance. They added that Trump personally values Hegseth and believes he should push back against political efforts to remove him from office.<\/p>\n
One official said Trump had told his defense secretary two days earlier that he was the best person working for him.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, the U.S. president also defended Hegseth’s performance, denying that there were plans to dismiss him and affirming his belief that Hegseth was \u201cdoing a very good job.\u201d Defending his decision to go to war with Iran, Trump said he would make the same decision again if given the opportunity.<\/p>\n
These remarks carry significance amid continued possibilities of military escalation, as a change in Pentagon leadership at this stage could complicate the situation, particularly if Washington decides to expand its operations against Iran.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a person close to Hegseth said the defense secretary expects to remain in office and is preparing to confront any attempt to remove him.<\/p>\n
The source added that Hegseth had informed the White House of his readiness to take responsibility for and defend the decisions and policies adopted by the Department of Defense during any potential congressional hearings. He also believes he can justify them publicly, even if those hearings turn into heated political confrontations.<\/p>\n
For his part, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell affirmed that Hegseth would not back down in the face of political pressure or investigations he considers driven by partisan motives. He stressed the secretary’s commitment to continuing Trump’s agenda and leading the department until the end of the current presidential term.<\/p>\n
Despite these assurances, CNN noted that some of Trump’s advisers expect changes within the administration following the election results. However, the president has not yet announced any intention to dismiss senior officials.<\/p>\n
Thus, calculations surrounding the confrontation with Iran, alongside the difficulty of appointing a replacement under the new Democratic majority in the Senate, could be key factors in determining Hegseth’s future within the U.S. administration.<\/p>\n
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