Republicans are blaming Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for the party's heavy midterm election losses, as the fallout from the defeat turns increasingly bitter. The party has moved quickly to pin responsibility for the wipeout on the Pentagon chief, who is said to have played a leading role in convincing Donald Trump to launch a missile blitz on Iran with no exit strategy or plan to handle the political backlash.
Impeachment Move Expected
Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky has revealed he plans to trigger a vote to impeach Hegseth when Congress returns next week, with sources saying they expect it to pass. Hegseth, 46, a U.S. Army veteran and former television personality, has served as Secretary of Defence since 2025.
The anger at this week's widespread losses, in which Democrats seized control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, could see moves to sanction the Pentagon chief within days. The results signalled the beginning of the end of Trump's presidency.
War on Iran Under Scrutiny
Hegseth was a vocal supporter of the war against Iran but faces claims he oversold America's ability to win the conflict quickly and easily. His critics argue he continued to advocate for escalation despite little sign that the bombing blitz has brought Iran any closer to surrender.
The day after the drubbing, Vice President JD Vance blamed the Middle East conflict for the Republican losses, saying "the reason we lost is the war". One Trump adviser said Hegseth "could be on the chopping block" because of Operation Epic Fury, which started on February 28.
Strait of Hormuz Crisis
Although the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world's oil and natural gas flows, remains technically open to commercial shipping, it is highly restricted and dangerous due to ongoing military conflict, sea mines, and recent vessel attacks. The effective blockade has seen forecourt fuel prices skyrocket.
Earlier this year, Trump issued an expletive-filled threat in which he vowed to unleash a fresh blitz on Iran, signing off: "Praise be to Allah." In a Truth Social post uploaded by the president on Easter Sunday, he said: "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F***in' Strait, you crazy b*****ds, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah."
Trump vowed to turn the country into a living hell if it continued to block the shipping route, a move that has sent oil prices into the stratosphere. US airstrikes destroyed the newly-built B1 bridge, which links Tehran and the western city of Karaj, after Trump said he would bomb the capital "back to the Stone Age". Iranian officials are continuing to demand the US lifts sanctions and releases billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.
On the midterm election drubbing, a White House source said: "Someone is going to get blamed for this and you know it's not going to be him [Trump]."
