{"id":48988,"date":"2026-11-05T18:55:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T17:55:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kaizen-blog.org\/?p=48988"},"modified":"2026-11-05T19:00:50","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T18:00:50","slug":"trump-verliert-die-kontrolle-republikaner-wollen-hegseth-stuerzen-rubio-bereitet-offenbar-seinen-abschied-vor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kaizen-blog.org\/en\/trump-verliert-die-kontrolle-republikaner-wollen-hegseth-stuerzen-rubio-bereitet-offenbar-seinen-abschied-vor\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Is Losing Control: Republicans Want Hegseth Gone, Rubio Is Reportedly Preparing His Exit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pete Hegseth could lose his job before Democrats even take control of Congress. And a Republican is the one trying to make it happen. Thomas Massie, the congressman from Kentucky who has spent months firmly opposing America's war against Iran, announced Wednesday that he would revive impeachment proceedings against the defense secretary. As soon as the House returns to work next week, Massie plans to force a vote. Several Republican lawmakers now expect the measure to pass. Donald Trump has just lost both chambers of Congress. Now members of his own party could start pushing members of his administration out of office. The November 3 defeat apparently gave some Republicans back the willingness to make decisions of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Massie first introduced his impeachment resolution in mid-September. A total of 8 articles of impeachment target Hegseth. The defense secretary is accused of exceeding his authority and violating the law during military operations. Additional allegations concern the treatment of civilian casualties and interference with freedom of speech. Massie introduced the resolution as a privileged measure, which requires the House to vote on it within 2 legislative days. At the time, Mike Johnson prevented the vote by calling an early recess ahead of the congressional elections. The Republican House speaker dismissed the move as a political stunt and stood behind Hegseth. For the time being, the defense secretary had no reason to fear a majority vote against him. Johnson sent the lawmakers home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That reprieve is now coming to an end. On Wednesday evening, Massie said there was exactly 1 condition under which he would not reintroduce his impeachment resolution: Hegseth would have to resign. On Thursday, he stepped up his demand. If Trump wanted to replace administration officials like Hegseth, he should do it while his nominees could still be confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. His own resolution, Massie said, was considerably gentler than what Hegseth could expect once Congress changed hands. Democrats would hold hearings and conduct proceedings, Massie warned. A Republican congressman is now publicly telling the president that his defense secretary is hardly safe even among members of his own party. A successful impeachment vote in the House would first trigger proceedings in the Senate. Removing Hegseth from office would require a two-thirds majority there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump is defending Hegseth anyway. On Thursday, he insisted he had every intention of keeping his defense secretary in office. He said he couldn't understand why dissatisfied Republicans were calling for his removal. The president described Massie as a very bad and destructive person. Just Wednesday, while giving a tour of the construction site for his new ballroom, Trump had said Hegseth was doing an excellent job. Trump acknowledged that the war against Iran had contributed to the Republicans' disastrous election results. He would still make the same decision again, he said. Some Republicans now accuse Hegseth of pushing the president into a war without a workable exit strategy. The final decision to launch the attack, however, was Trump's own. Politically, it's easier to sacrifice a cabinet secretary than a president who has just declared he would do the whole thing all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pete Hegseth<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Hakeem Jeffries, the incoming Democratic leader of the House, has also set his sights on Hegseth. On Thursday, he publicly asked why the defense secretary was still in office at all. Jeffries had previously said Democrats weren't interested in getting even with Republicans. That didn't mean he was ruling out investigations into the administration's policies. Starting in January 2027, Democrats will have the congressional powers to subpoena cabinet secretaries for hearings and investigate decisions made by the Pentagon. For Hegseth, the coming weeks could be more unpleasant than the past several months of war. The prospect of an investigation into his conduct in office is now hanging over the Defense Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Hegseth fights to keep his job, new questions are being raised about Secretary of State Marco Rubio. According to information from American political circles and the British government, Rubio is preparing for a possible resignation as he lays the groundwork for a 2028 presidential campaign. The secretary of state reportedly wants to distance himself from the political fallout of the Trump administration, particularly the war against Iran. That war has taken a heavy toll on Republicans in the congressional elections. If Rubio runs, he would have to compete against Vice President JD Vance, who has been viewed for months as a possible successor to Trump. A resignation would therefore also be a decision about Rubio's own political future. So far, however, he has neither announced nor confirmed it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Marco Rubio<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The White House and the State Department are firmly denying the reports. Both called the claims baseless. People close to Rubio are divided as well. While confidants considered a departure politically sensible, an administration official said the secretary of state had so far shown no indication of such plans. Back in September, Rubio had said a presidential campaign was not currently on his agenda. He was fully focused on his responsibilities in the administration. He had also indicated that he would step aside if Vance decided to run. The political landscape has changed dramatically since then. A party still trying to process its defeat already has to start thinking about who might lead it in 2028.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, Trump himself showed just how little he wanted to commit on that question. Maybe Vance would run, maybe he wouldn't. There could be plenty of candidates, or perhaps nobody would run at all. At the same time, reports have circulated that Trump had already discussed possible personnel changes with people around him before the congressional elections. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles was reportedly mentioned as someone who could be held responsible for a defeat. The president had also reportedly sought opinions about Hegseth and General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. None of those discussions has resulted in any firm dismissal decisions so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The war against Iran is now in its eighth month. Republicans have lost their majorities in both chambers of Congress, and Democrats are announcing sweeping investigations. Inside the administration, the question is growing louder: Who is going to pay the political price? Trump is standing by his defense secretary and defending the war. Rubio is already being discussed as a possible presidential candidate. Thomas Massie is preparing the next vote against Hegseth. For the president, a period is beginning in which loyalty is becoming increasingly difficult to secure simply by demanding it. The Republican majority that has protected his administration until now comes to an end on January 3, 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n