Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth could face impeachment as early as next week after Republicans suffered a heavy defeat to Democrats in the US midterm elections, with some GOP lawmakers blaming him for the party's collapse in voter confidence.
Democrats, who now control the House following a landslide triumph, could vote as soon as next week to impeach Mr Hegseth, CNN reports. Numerous Republicans are pointing the finger at him for the election outcome, contending that behind closed doors he was instrumental in persuading President Donald Trump to strike Iran with no exit strategy.
Republicans blame Hegseth for election loss
This comes despite private admissions from House and Senate GOP strategists that the party's difficulties reached far beyond the war. They appear reluctant to directly hold Mr Trump accountable for the result at the polls.
House Republicans are anticipated to vote to formally rebuke the defence secretary within days. Anti-Trump GOP lawmaker Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky told CNN he intends to trigger a vote to impeach Mr Hegseth when Congress reconvenes next week.
Criticism over Iran war strategy
Multiple GOP sources have reportedly indicated they expect the impeachment effort to succeed. Mr Hegseth, who has reportedly struggled to win allies on Capitol Hill, has overstated the US military's capacity to swiftly and decisively defeat Iran, multiple Republicans told the outlet.
They claimed he has continued to push for escalation despite little evidence that sustained bombing campaigns have brought Iran any closer to capitulation. The conflict, which was ignited by joint US-Israeli strikes at the end of February, has drawn America into an open-ended entanglement in the Middle East. This has worsened the cost-of-living crisis and is widely believed to have fuelled voters' midterm backlash against the administration.
Trump stands by Hegseth
Despite this, Mr Trump's faith in his defence secretary remains unshaken. The US leader is said to have a personal fondness for Mr Hegseth and has reportedly told aides that he believes he should stand firm against impeachment attempts.
"Just two days ago the president was in the room with him, telling him, 'You're my best guy. You're the best guy I have,'" one of the officials revealed. Mr Trump may also feel compelled to retain Mr Hegseth should he opt to press ahead with further strikes against Iran, particularly as the Democrats' newly gained Senate majority looks set to complicate any White House attempts to confirm fresh Cabinet nominees, CNN reports.
When pressed on Wednesday over Mr Hegseth's future in the role, Mr Trump defended the war effort and flatly denied any intention to sack him, insisting the defence secretary was "doing a very good job."
"If I had it to do again, I'd have to do it again," Mr Trump said of his decision to go to war.
