WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 5, 2026 — President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday that he isn't replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, even as two major networks reported that the president has been asking allies and advisers whether Hegseth should keep the job after Republicans lost both chambers of Congress.

CBS News, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter, reported that Trump has been asking advisers around him and on the phone whether Hegseth should stay following Tuesday's midterm losses. CBS also reported that other sources said the president hasn't decided to replace him.

NBC News, in a story by Courtney Kube and Gordon Lubold published Wednesday evening, reported that Trump has told some of his allies in recent days that he's considering replacing Hegseth, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Launchpad is treating those as attributed, anonymous-source reports from two independent outlets — not as a confirmed decision.

What Trump said publicly

Asked Wednesday afternoon whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, Trump told reporters, "No, I think he's doing a very good job," CBS reported. Asked whether he'd like to see Hegseth appointed to the Tennessee Senate seat that will open when Sen. Marsha Blackburn becomes governor, Trump said, "I actually think he'd be very popular if he did that, but I haven't heard that at all," according to CBS.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to CBS that the president "has full confidence in Secretary Hegseth." Kelly's statement also praised military operations in Iran and Venezuela and Hegseth's efforts to reverse what she described as the prior administration's Pentagon focus on "DEI and woke ideology," CBS reported.

Why Hegseth's name is in play

Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend co-host, was narrowly confirmed by the Senate in January 2025 and has had a rocky tenure, NBC reported. CBS noted that Democrats were already exploring impeachment before the election, and that a Democratic majority in both chambers could make an impeachment effort more likely.

Vice President JD Vance has publicly blamed the Iran war for the GOP's midterm defeat. "The reason we lost is the war," Vance wrote on X Wednesday, a post Launchpad covered in our story on Trump and Vance's reactions.

CBS reported that some White House aides expect blame for the losses to fall on Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command, and on Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who both played large roles in guidance on the Iran war. Those are aides' expectations reported by CBS, not findings.

DeSantis floated — and not confirmed

One CBS source said Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been floated as a possible Hegseth replacement, with the argument that DeSantis could seek Senate confirmation in the lame-duck session and take the post when his gubernatorial term ends Jan. 5. No official from DeSantis's office or the White House has confirmed that idea in any statement Launchpad has seen. DeSantis spent Wednesday night doing cable interviews about Florida's election results and the flood emergency; his X account posted clips of appearances on CNN and Fox News, without mentioning the Pentagon.

What's next

Any change at the Pentagon would need a nominee and, for a confirmed secretary, Senate action. Democrats will hold the Senate majority in the new Congress that convenes in January, AP projects, which would shape a confirmation fight. For now, Trump's public line and the White House statement are that Hegseth stays; the CBS and NBC sourcing says private conversations about alternatives are happening. Launchpad will update if the White House announces a change or if Hegseth addresses the reports himself.

Sources: CBS News; NBC News; Launchpad: Trump/Vance react; Gov. DeSantis on X.

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