00:02President Trump is publicly standing by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
00:06But behind the scenes, he's apparently asking whether he should keep him.
00:10CBS News reports Trump has been asking advisers if Hegseth should stay on after Republicans
00:16sweeping midterm losses.
00:17And Fox News is hearing from current and former administration figures who believe Hegseth
00:22could be on his way out.
00:24But asked about that possibility Wednesday, Trump gave a very different answer.
00:28No, I think he's doing a very good job.
00:30So you don't want him to fill Marshall Blackburn in the Senate to be appointed?
00:34Well, I think he's doing a very good job.
00:36And I actually think he'd be very popular if he did that.
00:40But I haven't heard that at all.
00:42Now a lot of this goes back to the war in Iran and how much it hurt Republicans at the
00:46polls.
00:47Vice President J.D. Vance isn't mincing words.
00:50Wednesday on X, he wrote, quote, The reason we lost is the war.
00:54The president himself said so last night.
00:56Hegseth has been one of the war's most vocal supporters.
01:00And Fox News reports some insiders believe he could take the blame for its political fallout.
01:04The White House, though, says Trump has full confidence in him.
01:08So who might replace him if Trump does make a change?
01:12CBS News reports Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is one name being floated.
01:16And there's another complication for Hegseth.
01:19Democrats are about to take control of Congress where he could face investigations and possibly
01:24an impeachment effort.
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