President Trump pushed back Wednesday against talk that he might replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to The Hill. He also said Hegseth would be “very popular” if he stepped into the Tennessee Senate seat left open by Marsha Blackburn.
The comments came a day after Republicans suffered losses in the midterms. Democrats won control of the House and the Senate and captured several governors’ races. Asked whether he was weighing a change at the Pentagon, Trump answered, “No, I think he’s doing a very good job.”
CBS News reported Wednesday that Trump has been asking advisers and allies whether Hegseth should remain in the post after the election results. The reporting added to attention on Hegseth’s standing inside the administration.
Multiple Republicans are weighing a run for the open Tennessee Senate seat
Hegseth, who served as an Army National Guard major, has interest in the Tennessee Senate opening, The Hill reported earlier. He has been working behind the scenes to line up support for a possible bid.
Trump expanded on the idea when asked if he would want Hegseth to take Blackburn’s seat. He said, “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.”
Some observers have called Hegseth a formidable potential candidate. Tennessee GOP operative Monty Lankford said earlier, “I certainly think Pete Hegseth is going to be the guy that is going to have the most weight in the room. I mean, being the Secretary of War and having done what he’s done, and I’m confident [he would be] getting the endorsement of the president, I would think.” He used the term the administration prefers for the Defense Department. Not every Republican is as supportive, though, with some senators urging Trump to fire him.
Hegseth has come under scrutiny for his role in the Iran war and firing top army officials. Questions are circulating inside the Pentagon about how long Hegseth will stay after the midterms. The questions exist even if he is not impeached. House Democrats are ready to move forward with impeachment efforts once they hold the majority.
Blackburn defeated Democrat Jerri Green on Tuesday night and will become Tennessee’s first female governor. The Senate seat she is leaving is set to expire in early 2031.
Others have also shown interest in the seat. They include Rep. Tim Burchett, who campaigned for Blackburn, former Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, and former CoreCivic CEO Damon Hininger. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, who won reelection in Tennessee’s 3rd Congressional District, told Tennessee Lookout in a recent interview, “I will be honored to have that.”
Published: Nov 5, 2026 10:30 am