Trump Backs Hegseth as Midterm Losses Fuel Questions Over Defense Secretary's Future

President Donald Trump publicly backed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday, saying he is doing a very good job, a day after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in midterm elections. Reports said voter anger over the Iran war was a factor. CBS News reported that Trump has been asking advisers whether Hegseth should keep his job, and NBC exit polls showed 74 percent of voters called the war a crucial or major factor. Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has drafted impeachment articles against Hegseth and said he will force a vote in the first week of the lame-duck session. House Speaker Mike Johnson sent the House into early recess in mid-September, before any vote. Florida Governor-elect Byron Donalds told CNN he will not vote to impeach before leaving Congress. CBS sources named Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement. Separately, Politico reported Wednesday that Hegseth's wife, Jennifer, was paid by the consulting firm Watchtower Strategy. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the couple comply with all ethics laws.

Right-leaning outlets split. Newsmax mirrors the wire framing, leading with Trump's endorsement of Hegseth and the Democratic wins. The Daily Caller skips the electoral fallout and leads with the Politico report on Jennifer Hegseth, citing Lockheed Martin as a Watchtower client and her father's Lockheed role. It includes Parnell's and Watchtower's denials and links the story to wider corruption allegations against the administration. Left-leaning outlets focus on Hegseth's job security. CNN leads with Donalds's refusal to back impeachment, while The New Republic's headline says Trump is preparing to dump Hegseth, relying on CBS sourcing and the exit poll. Both sides report that Trump publicly supports Hegseth, though only the left-leaning coverage details the internal doubts. Reason takes a distinct angle, arguing that House Republicans should vote to impeach Hegseth over the Iran war.