President Trump has indicated that changes to his Cabinet will follow the midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of both the House and Senate and dealt Republicans major losses. He declined to identify anyone who might be removed, but confirmed that he expects to fire someone when questioned about his plans.
Trump discussed the potential shake-up during an interview with Ross Douthat for CBS News’ “60 Minutes.” In a preview released by the network, the president expressed approval of his Cabinet while saying he anticipated making a few changes. The interview is expected to air Sunday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m.
The comments come amid demands from Democrats and some Republicans to impeach senior administration officials. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Hegseth are among those facing such calls. Reps. Hank Johnson of Georgia and Deborah Ross of North Carolina, both Democrats, backed impeachment efforts against the officials during a Thursday appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Dan Abrams Show.”
Hegseth also faces an impeachment push from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie told CNN that he intends to seek a vote to impeach the defense secretary. In a social media post, he described his resolution as a milder step than the proceedings he expects once Democrats control Congress, predicting hearings and trials.
Responding in a video on X, Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort and attacked Massie. He called the Kentucky lawmaker a “disgruntled, defeated congressman” and characterized the articles of impeachment as a sham supported by Massie’s Democratic allies.
Despite that pressure, Trump affirmed his confidence in Hegseth during the CBS interview. The president claimed that the United States had won two wars, citing Venezuela and saying billions of dollars had already been taken out. He also claimed that the war there lasted less than an hour. Asked whether Hegseth deserved credit for the victories, Trump replied, “No. But he was a part of it.”
Personnel departures have already followed the elections. On Friday, Trump announced that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles would leave her position, with longtime adviser Stephen Miller succeeding her. Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, resigned a day earlier.
Dhillon told Fox News that her departure was voluntary and that she had submitted her resignation three weeks earlier. According to Dhillon, Wiles asked her to remain until the midterm elections were over. Her account placed the decision to resign before the Republican electoral defeat.
