White House denies rumors of Hegseth and Rubio resignations after Republican defeat in midterm elections

After the midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, the White House rejected reports of a possible departure of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Hegseth, criticized for the war with Iran, faces an impeachment threat, while Rubio denied plans to run for president in 2028.

Otabek YusupovFirst published on tafs uz 6 November 2026 at 07:143 min read

The key facts

The White House called reports of Hegseth and Rubio's departure after the Republicans' midterm election defeat 'fake news'
Trump said he intends to keep Hegseth, but Congressman Thomas Massie is preparing an impeachment resolution
Rubio denied rumors of an early departure for a 2028 presidential campaign

White House dismisses resignation rumors

The White House has denied reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio could leave their posts in a reshuffle following the Republicans' defeat in the midterm elections, in which Democrats won full control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. BBC News reported this.

Hegseth under pressure over the war with Iran

According to US media cited by the BBC, there are calls to replace Hegseth — primarily because of his handling of the war with Iran, which has now lasted nine months and which, in the assessment of Trump and Vice President JD Vance, caused the Republicans' heavy losses in the elections. In a phone interview with ABC News, Trump said he had received 'calls about' Hegseth, but added that he 'fully intends' to keep him, and later called the secretary's work 'fantastic,' citing the January arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the war with Iran. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported that Trump may be considering the resignation of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine or head of Central Command Admiral Brad Cooper, who played a prominent role in advising on the war.

Impeachment threat and defense of Hegseth

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, a frequent Trump critic, told Politico that he will introduce a resolution to impeach Hegseth early next week, and urged the president to replace the secretary before the new Congress with a Democratic majority is seated in January — 'while he can still get replacements confirmed in the Senate.' In a video address, Hegseth called this 'sham articles of impeachment' from 'a disgruntled, defeated congressman and all his Democratic allies,' and listed the department's achievements: restoring military recruitment, rebuilding the defense industrial base, and rooting out diversity programs. 'They attack us because we are effective. It won't work. We will not back down,' he said.

Rubio denies plans for 2028

Rubio, for his part, denied reports that he is considering leaving his post to run in the 2028 presidential election. 'Serving Trump until the end of his term has always been my plan,' he said in an interview with The New York Times, adding: 'I love my job. Besides, I always laugh when people say he is going to quit his job. I ask: “Quit which one?”'. Both the White House and the State Department called reports of his departure 'fake news.' The BBC notes that Hegseth's own political future remains more uncertain: he is also being mentioned as a possible candidate for the upcoming Senate seat from Tennessee.