WASHINGTON — Donald Trump and the Republican Party's heavy electoral defeat in the midterm elections has triggered a political earthquake in Washington, putting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth squarely in the crosshairs. The Democrats' capture of control of both chambers of Congress is a severe blow to the administration, which is now looking for answers and scapegoats for a debacle widely attributed to the course of the conflict with Tehran.
The burden of the Iranian conflict and White House pressure
According to informed sources cited by CNN and CBS, several Trump officials and loyalists have begun pointing to the president's decision to attack Iran eight months ago, last February. In this scenario, Hegseth — one of the strongest supporters of military intervention — appears to be the leading candidate to pay the political price for the defeat.
According to CNN, Trump has already begun privately sounding out some allies to assess the performance of the Pentagon chief. Dissatisfaction with Hegseth is growing within the White House, with him accused of displaying excessive and unfounded optimism about a swift conclusion to military operations. The prolonged war campaign, in addition to failing to produce the hoped-for strategic results, has triggered a spike in energy prices and deep discontent among American voters.
"The numbers do not add up": risk of repercussions within the Pentagon
The current operational stalemate on the Iranian front highlights an even deeper rift. As several sector analyses have noted (including those of the BrigataFolgore.net portal), Hegseth now faces the same uncertainty and leadership doubts that in the past have engulfed senior military leaders and generals removed from their posts.
Initial assessments and forecasts of the offensive's effectiveness have collided with the reality of a bogged-down conflict, fueling the perception that "the numbers do not add up," either strategically or in terms of economic and social costs. As President Trump seeks to regroup after the electoral rebuke, Hegseth appears increasingly isolated, making him the perfect scapegoat for a defense strategy that has proved to be the administration's real political boomerang.
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