US President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed talk that he is preparing to replace War Secretary Pete Hegseth, while suggesting the Pentagon chief would be a popular choice for a Senate seat in Tennessee.
The remarks came despite suffering bruising midterm elections losses that the US president has blamed on the war against Iran.
Asked whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, Trump said: "No, I think he's doing a very good job."
Asked if he wanted Hegseth to fill Marsha Blackburn's Senate seat, he said: "Well, I think he's doing a very good job, and I actually think he'd be very popular if he did that. But I haven't heard that at all."
-
Indian Markets Turning Corner After Two Tough Years, Says Sandeep Tandon -
NDTV Profit Ignite 2026: Experts See Opportunity In Equities, Stay Bullish For Long-Term -
Buy Right, Sit Tight Does Not Work for Individual Stocks, Says Dinshaw Irani -
'Worst Is Behind': Quant MF Sees Market Bottom, Flags 'Extreme Euphoria' In Midcaps -
India's Mutual Fund Industry Could Become A $1 Trillion Opportunity, Say Fund Managers -
'Foreign Investors Are Baraatis': Raamdeo Agrawal's Take On LTCG Tax -
Stay Invested Through Market Cycles: Raamdeo Agrawal at NDTV Profit Ignite -
Ramesh Damani Remains Bullish On India For Next 20-30 Years, Sees Bargains Amid Market Weakness -
CAS Came After A Long Consultation Process: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFIT IGNITE -
Aim To Cut FPI Onboarding Time From Mth To Five Days: SEBI Chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey AT NDTV PROFI
President Trump SHUTS DOWN any rumor of him considering replacing War Secretary Pete Hegseth. Reporter: “Are you considering replacing Secretary Hegseth?” President Trump: “No, I think he's doing a very good job.” Reporter: “So you don't want him to fill Marsha Blackburn's Senate seat, then, to be appointed to be senator? President Trump: “Well, I think he's doing a very good job, and I actually think he'd be very popular if he did that. But I haven't heard that at all.”
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) November 4, 2026
The comments came a day after the midterm elections, in which Democrats won both the House and the Senate, gaining seven Senate seats and 25 House seats.
Blackburn won the Tennessee governor's race, and plans to appoint her own successor once she is sworn in. Hegseth has been reported to be hoping for that appointment, though Representative Tim Burchett is also interested in the seat.
Questions over Hegseth's future have grown since the Republican setback. Reuters reported that sources said Trump could still replace him, and CBS reported that Trump had been asking advisers whether Hegseth should stay.
Democrats are also expected to pursue an impeachment effort once they regain the House majority. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth "will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points."
ALSO READ | US Midterms: Musk Spent Over $200 Million In Texas. Here's What Happened To His Stocks
Much of the criticism centres on the war with Iran, which drove up oil prices and angered voters. Asked when the conflict would end, Trump said: "Whenever I want it to. But it's got to be done right. And we're never going to let them have a nuclear weapon."
He said he had expected the price rise. "I knew the fuel would go up. I thought it would go up two or three times higher than it is. And now today it's coming down." He added: "We've done a great job. The Hormuz Strait is open... It's producing more oil right now than at any time prior to the war."
On Iran's military, he said: "We've totally broken their military. The Navy's gone. Their Air Force is gone. Their anti-aircraft is gone."
Trump also spoke about Vice President JD Vance and the 2028 race, after being asked whether the two had discussed it.
"I'm speaking to him about a lot of things. But, I mean, we'll see what happens... Maybe nobody's going to run. Maybe he won't run. I don't know who's going to run." On the war, he said: "I would have done nothing different."
ALSO READ | From First Black Woman Governor To Native American Woman Governor: 8 US Election Firsts
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.