Trump says Hegseth is doing a good job after CBS reports he asked advisers about the defense secretary

As of 7:09 a.m. ET, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026

President Donald Trump said Wednesday afternoon that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is doing a good job, hours after CBS News reported that Trump had been asking advisers whether Hegseth should stay in his post following Republicans' midterm losses.

Asked by reporters whether he was considering replacing Hegseth, Trump said no and that he thinks Hegseth is doing a very good job, CBS News and CBS News White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs reported.

The CBS report

Earlier Wednesday, CBS News reported that Trump had been asking advisers "around him and on the phone" whether Hegseth should stay, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. Other sources told CBS the president had not decided to replace him.

CBS noted that Democrats were already trying to impeach Hegseth before the election and that an impeachment effort could become more likely with Democrats holding majorities in both chambers.

White House: "full confidence"

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement that "President Trump has full confidence in Secretary Hegseth," according to reporter Steven Beynon, who posted the statement on X. Kelly added that "the incredible results of Operations Epic Fury, Absolute Resolve, and Midnight Hammer [speak] for themselves," Beynon reported.

CBS News reported a similar statement from Kelly, saying she also praised Hegseth's efforts to reverse what she called the prioritizing of "DEI and woke ideology" at the Pentagon.

The report came the same day Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that "the reason we lost is the war," referring to the war with Iran. For more, see our story on Vance's post and Trump's comments on the war's role in the losses.