Republicans could vote to impeach Hegseth as soon as next week after Democrats' sweep

November 5 — According to CNN, after the Republican Party's crushing defeat in the U.S. midterm elections, multiple Republican lawmakers and allies are rapidly pointing fingers at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, holding him primarily responsible for persuading Trump to use military force against Iran while lacking an exit strategy and a plan for political consequences; at the same time, party leaders and many colleagues remain unwilling to directly blame Trump himself. The report states that the House of Representatives could vote as early as next week on impeaching the Pentagon chief.

Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie told CNN that he plans to initiate a vote on impeaching Hegseth after Congress reconvenes next week; multiple Republican sources say the case is expected to pass. Hegseth has had few allies on Capitol Hill since taking over the Defense Department; several Republicans anonymously told CNN that he exaggerated the prospects of a quick victory and advocated escalation even when there were no signs of Iranian surrender, with the conflict having become a quagmire that drags down prices and triggers a voter backlash against the Republican Party. Vice President Vance said on Wednesday that "the reason we lost is this war," but did not name anyone as responsible.

The White House side still shows that Trump's trust in Hegseth has not dissipated: when pressed on Wednesday, Trump denied any plans to fire him, saying he is "doing a great job" and stating that regarding the decision to go to war, "if I had to do it again, I would do it again." People close to Hegseth say he is prepared to confront impeachment head-on; Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that Hegseth is "100% committed to leading the department until the end of Trump's term" and will not be intimidated by a "sham investigation."