Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appears increasingly likely to take the blame for Republican losses in the midterm elections, despite continued public support from President Donald Trump, according to The Guardian. The report, written by Cecilia Nowell and agencies, said Trump has vocally supported his defense secretary and has called him a champion of war.
The Guardian's summary says the war in Iran is among the issues voters weighed, but the excerpt breaks off before stating how voters viewed it. The same summary says JD Vance has called the Iran war into question.
Axios reported that a saying common in the Trump White House, that somebody has to take the fall, now appears to point to Hegseth. Its headline reads, in part, Why Pete Hegseth could fall "thin ice", and the report by Marc Caputo says Hegseth's record has made him the most vulnerable member of Trump's Cabinet after Tuesday night's midterm results. Axios cited the unpopular war in Iran and what it described as bad bipartisan relations with members of Congress as factors in that assessment.
The Guardian's summary also says Thomas Massie has filed eight articles of impeachment. The summary does not say which official the articles concern.
The two accounts differ mainly in emphasis. The Guardian frames Hegseth as someone who may be blamed despite Trump's backing, while Axios focuses on his standing within the Cabinet and with Congress. Neither summary available for this report includes a response from Hegseth or the White House.
Sources: The Guardian: Pete Hegseth may take fall for Republicans’ midterm losses, despite Trump support; Axios: Why Pete Hegseth could fall through "thin ice".