Trump weighs making Pete Hegseth the fall guy for Republicans crushing Midterm loss: Knives are definitely out for him
WASHINGTON — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is ruling out taking a Senate appointment to avoid a grueling impeachment fight — as President Trump considers whether to make him his whipping boy for the brutal midterm election wipeout.Hegseth, who advocated for and oversaw the conflict that caused steep Republican losses on Tuesday, faces a possible bipartisan impeachment vote this year and insiders believe Democratic gains in the Senate mean he would face a public trial next year that would scorch the administration.The former Fox News personality’s cleanest offramp, ironically, is joining the Senate by gaining Tennessee Gov.-elect Martha Blackburn’s support to appoint him to her vacated seat.But Hegseth ruled out that option even as Trump spoke with allies about whether to replace him.“We will continue to drive [Trump’s] agenda at the Department of War — despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats — and Secretary Hegseth is 100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office,” said Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell.Many sources told The Post that Hegseth would be an obvious near-term option for removal after the drubbing, in part because Trump will have a much more difficult time gaining Senate confirmation for a replacement when power changes hands in January.“Knives are definitely out for him among senior West Wing staff,” a source close to the White House said, cautioning, “I don’t know if it’s a foregone conclusion that he’s gone.”A different Trump insider said the president is asking around for input on what to do about Hegseth.The Pentagon chief is popular with the conservative base but indisputably bears significant responsibility for the war, which both Trump and Vice President JD Vance said was a top cause of the landslide loss because of a surge in energy prices and inflation.A third person close to the White House said “somebody has to own this.”“When the word ‘war’ is ...