Trump Shuts Down Talk of Swapping Hegseth: 'He Is Doing a Very Good Job'

Donald Trump isn't shopping for a new Pentagon chief. Asked Wednesday whether he is considering replacing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the president said no, adding that Hegseth is 'doing a very good job.'

The question came wrapped in a bit of political trivia: would Trump tap Hegseth for the Senate seat Tennessee's Marsha Blackburn is leaving behind now that she has won the governor's race? Trump's answer made clear Hegseth is staying put at the Defense Department.

That reassurance lands right after a rough stretch for the secretary's job security. CBS News reported Wednesday that Hegseth's future could be at stake in the wake of Republicans' midterm election losses, with sources saying Trump had been consulting advisers about whether he should keep the post.

The blame game inside the GOP is already loud. Vice President JD Vance pinned the sweeping losses on the war in Iran, while some officials floated other names that could share the fallout, including US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, according to CBS News.

Trump has been in full post-election commentary mode, weighing in on impeachment talk, the Iran war's effect on gas prices and a record stock market. For now, Hegseth survives the rumor mill with a public vote of confidence from the boss.

More to come.