White House rejects resignation rumors for Hegseth and Rubio
- The White House and State Department denied reports that Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio are resigning.
- President Trump confirmed his intention to keep Hegseth in his role as Defense Secretary.
- Representative Thomas Massie has threatened to initiate an impeachment vote against Hegseth.
- Vice President J.D. Vance attributed recent Republican election losses to the ongoing war with Iran.
The White House and the U.S. State Department have formally denied reports that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio are resigning following recent Republican election losses. The administration denied that the officials are resigning following post-election reshuffles.
Despite these denials, the future of Secretary of Defense Hegseth remains uncertain. Rumors had previously suggested that Hegseth was interested in running for a vacant Senate seat in Tennessee.
President Donald Trump stated he has "every intention" of keeping Hegseth in his role as Defense Secretary.
Trump defends Hegseth's Pentagon record
President Donald Trump defended the record of the Defense Secretary during a telephone interview with ABC News, confirming he had received "calls" regarding Hegseth but intends to keep him in his current position. On Thursday, November 5, 2026, the President told reporters at the White House that "Pete Hegseth has done a fantastic job".
The President cited specific achievements, including the January arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. He also highlighted the ongoing Iran war, which is now in its ninth month.
GOP election losses linked to Iran war
Media outlets reported that the handling of the war with Iran was a primary cause for major Republican election defeats. President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance both attributed the party's losses to the ongoing conflict.
The election results led to Democrats gaining full control of both the House and the Senate. Vice President Vance warned that supporters of the war caused the party to lose the Senate for six years.
Representative Massie threatens impeachment vote
Representative Thomas Massie has threatened to force an impeachment vote against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth as early as the week of 9 November 2026. Massie stated on X that Hegseth should resign while he can still secure Senate confirmation for a replacement.
Massie also wrote on X that he would not reintroduce articles of impeachment if the Secretary chooses to resign.
Hegseth dismisses impeachment as personal destruction
On 6 November, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth released a video statement defending his performance and condemning impeachment threats. Hegseth stated, "You see, they are attacking me. We will not back down".
He also posted a social media video on Thursday declaring, "We Stand, We Fight," as expectations grew that the House might vote to impeach him next week. Hegseth characterized the impeachment effort as "the politics of personal destruction," adding, "Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me".
NBC News reported on 6 November that Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort as "sham articles of impeachment".
Rubio denies departure plans
The White House and the U.S. State Department characterized reports of Rubio's potential resignation following the midterm election defeat as "fake news".
Legislative process and media reaction
CNN and NBC are primarily reporting on impeachment mechanics, while Fox is focusing on defence-funding demands and framing the situation as politically motivated.
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