White House confirms Hegseth and Rubio will stay in key roles

Washington, D.C., November 6, 2026. The White House stated on Friday that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will remain in their current positions, pushing back against reports of a post-election cabinet reshuffle. The clarifications followed a wave of media speculation linking the two officials to potential departures amid heavy Republican losses in the recent midterm elections.

Hegseth faces the most immediate political pressure. A group of outgoing Republican lawmakers has called for his replacement, citing his management of the ongoing war with Iran. That conflict is now in its ninth month and has been widely blamed by party leaders for the Democratic takeover of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, announced he will trigger a resolution to impeach Hegseth early next week. Massie said that he intends to force a vote before the new Congress convenes in January. He also posted a warning on X, urging President Donald Trump to replace Hegseth while the administration still has the ability to confirm successors in the Senate.

Hegseth responded to the impeachment push with a video statement. He described the effort as a set of sham articles of impeachment driven by a defeated congressman and his Democratic allies. The secretary argued that critics attack him because the Department of Defense is effective. He listed achievements such as reviving military recruitment, rebuilding the defense industrial base, and removing diversity initiatives as evidence of his record.

Rubio, meanwhile, addressed rumors that he might step down to prepare for a 2028 presidential campaign. In an interview, he said working for Trump until the end of his term has always been his plan. Rubio added that he loves the work he is doing and joked that he often asks reporters which job he is supposedly leaving.

The White House and the State Department both labeled the reports of Rubio's departure as fake news. President Trump also defended Hegseth directly. In a telephone interview, Trump said he had received calls about the defense secretary but had every intention of keeping him in the role.

Later on Thursday, Trump spoke to reporters at the White House. He said Hegseth has done a fantastic job and highlighted specific accomplishments. Those included the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January and the conduct of the Iran war. The president’s comments came as the Washington Post reported that Trump might be considering removing other military leaders, including General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command.

Both Caine and Cooper played key roles in advising on the war strategy. The war began eight months ago. As the administration faces a new Democratic-controlled Congress starting in January, the question of who remains in the defense and state departments will likely stay in the news.