Donald Trump Considering Firing Pete Hegseth After Midterms in Attempt to Salvage Legacy as 'Anti-War President,' Reporter Says

President Donald Trump is reportedly considering firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the November midterms, potentially leaving his once-favored and highly controversial Cabinet member shouldering the blame for the increasingly unpopular war with Iran.

The claim comes from political commentator Dominic Michael Tripi, who suggested the president wants to protect the image he's cultivated as someone who was opposed to foreign wars.

Tripi wrote on X: “NEW: Trump reportedly considering firing Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth after the midterms in an effort to take the blame of the unpopular Iran war off of himself and onto Hegseth in order to ‘protect his legacy’ and ‘reputation as an anti-war president.’”

Tripi didn't name his sources in the post, but Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie explained in a response tweet that the precedent exists regarding finding a scapegoat for an unpopular war, writing, “President [George W.] Bush fired Sec Def Rumsfeld the day after Republicans took a shellacking in the 2006 midterms due to the unpopularity of the Iraq war.”

Hegseth has drawn criticism for his handling of the Pentagon, with the purge of several senior military officers, his religious overhaul of the Pentagon and his tense relationship with Congress among the more prominent issues.

A NY Times report from October 1 described the growing frustration of some Republican members of Congress who were finding it increasingly difficult to get straight answers from the DoD.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), who was one of the Republicans who supported Hegseth's confirmation, told the paper, "I don't think Hegseth has developed any productive relationships, even with Republican members."

The war, which started in February and was supposed to end quickly, has been going on for months, and fuel prices have been rising, which is adding further pressure on American households.

Trump has repeatedly praised Hegseth, and early this year, the president even joked, "he loves war" when talking about his defense secretary.

But their relationship has reportedly been under tension behind the scenes. The Washington Post reported in August that Trump had a go at Hegseth over the shortage of critical military munitions.

More recently, Trump said US forces would not be launching any attacks on Iran prior to the November 3 election, though the conflict is by no means resolved.

The timing of Tripi's post is important, as the president is in a tough election season with the war and the cost of living both being major issues for voters.

Removing Hegseth would allow Trump to make a statement about a change in direction, but it wouldn't alter the fact that the president authorized the war.

Hegseth is still in the job for now, and the idea of his removal is still yet to be seen.