Donald Trump is privately asking trusted advisers whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine should remain in their posts after the midterm elections, as he considers whether to resume bombing Iran.
According to The Atlantic, the president has been seeking assessments of the two senior defense officials who assured him the conflict would be over well before the midterms.
Advisers say another wave of strikes could begin within days of Tuesday’s vote.
With Republicans facing a serious threat of losing control of both the House and Senate, Trump has come to believe the Iran conflict could contribute to those losses. His focus has turned toward the officials who promised a swift and conclusive campaign.
“Hegseth is good at telling the president what he wants to hear,” one outside adviser said. Other Trump allies believe the defense secretary has presented an overly positive picture of the war to keep the president satisfied.
Hegseth, Caine and Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, were at the White House last week briefing Trump and Vice President JD Vance on several possible courses of action designed to give the president a path to claim victory.
At the same time, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a tense phone conversation Saturday over the status of negotiations with Iran and the possibility of renewed military action, according to one Israeli source and one American source who spoke with Axios.
Netanyahu is urging Trump to attack Iran immediately after Tuesday’s midterm elections. Trump, however, wants to allow negotiations more time to develop—a position that has alarmed the Israeli leader.
Donald Trump is privately weighing whether Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine should be removed after the midterms
One outside adviser said Hegseth tells Trump what he wants to hear, while other allies believe the defense secretary has portrayed the war too optimistically
The potential plans range from several hours of attacks to a weeks-long operation targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities
Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu spoke candidly Saturday about negotiations with Iran and the prospect of renewed fighting
If Trump authorizes a new attack on Iran, the options range from a few hours of strikes to a campaign lasting several weeks, including one plan focused on the country’s nuclear program. Other possibilities include maintaining the naval blockade at the Strait of Hormuz while threatening further action—or abandoning the operation altogether.
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A prolonged offensive would target Iranian air defenses and infrastructure that the administration is expected to describe as serving both military and civilian functions.
The shorter strikes launched since the weeks-long campaign began in late February have done little to weaken Tehran’s resolve. Instead, they have prompted retaliation against U.S. forces and American allies throughout the region.
Last Sunday, Vance wrote to Mohsen Rezaei, Iran’s security chief, proposing a return to direct talks, with the nuclear issue included from the beginning.
The vice president did not specify what concessions or benefits Tehran would receive in exchange.
In the lead-up to the midterms, Hegseth has sought to demonstrate his loyalty by dismissing Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, the Joint Staff’s director of planning.
Officials said Sylvia had failed polygraph tests connected to an investigation into a leak.
He is among more than two dozen generals and admirals who have been removed during Hegseth’s tenure.
The military deliberations are unfolding against a backdrop of mounting tension inside the White House, where staff turnover, internal factional battles and fears of losing control of Congress have created a gloomy atmosphere.
Trump has rejected polling showing declining public support and complained angrily that his political message is failing to resonate with voters.
With Republicans at risk of losing both chambers of Congress, Trump believes the Iran war may share the blame and is scrutinizing the officials who promised a swift victory
He has increasingly surrounded himself with loyalists, including Natalie Harp, who moved her desk into his cluttered private dining room, and housing chief Bill Pulte, who reportedly visits Trump’s Air Force One cabin carrying poster boards and AI-generated memes.
There is a recent historical precedent for what could follow. After Democrats won decisively in the 2006 midterm elections amid public anger over Iraq, President George W. Bush forced out Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld the next day and ordered a troop surge two months later.
