Former Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill and New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman suggested that Pete Hegseth could be a scapegoat for former President Donald Trump following projected losses in the 2026 midterm elections. On Stephanie Ruhle's MS NOW show, McCaskill predicted that Trump might seek to remove Hegseth from his position as defense secretary before January.
"It will not surprise me if Trump wants to dump Hegseth before January," McCaskill stated. "And the easiest way to do that is to get Marsha Blackburn to appoint him as senator in Tennessee."
Haberman echoed this sentiment, telling Ruhle that she believes "that is very much where this goes right now." She elaborated on the potential motivations, citing the need to pass a defense spending bill and the military's current financial constraints amid global crises. Haberman suggested that removing Hegseth could be an "easy move" for Trump to make, potentially aiming to foster comity with Democrats.
"There are many, many valid criticisms of the defense secretary, and he certainly was the most optimistic about the war in Trump’s circle," Haberman said. "But this was ultimately President Trump’s decision by a wide mile, and his advisers just went there with him, even though most of them had reservations."
Haberman also warned that Trump "is going to face a very different reality come January" as he enters his final two years in office. She added that while Trump's actions are difficult to predict, voters have sent "a very, very clear message about what they don’t want to see in terms of overreach."