Who takes the fall? Hegseth, Rubio and Wiles caught up in White House civil war after midterms wipeout

Who takes the fall? Hegseth, Rubio and Wiles caught up in White House civil war after midterms wipeout Top officials are reportedly searching for a suitable scalp, while seeking to insulate themselves from a potential purge - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in A civil war is brewing inside the Trump administration after Republicans suffered crippling midterm losses, with insiders scrambling to assign blame and find someone to take the fall. President Donald Trump has publicly said he has no plans to make Cabinet changes in the wake of Tuesday’s disastrous elections, which saw Democrats romp to victory in once-reliable red states, clawing back control of both the House and Senate. Instead, Trump faulted GOP candidates, congratulated Democrats and appeared eager to move on to other issues, like his White House ballroom. But behind the scenes, the atmosphere is tense. Offensive and defensive maneuvers are being made: officials are searching for a suitable scalp, while seeking to insulate themselves from a potential purge. Among the key players reportedly caught up in the turmoil are Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. Staffing changes are not uncommon following bruising midterm elections. After the 2006 midterms, which saw Republicans suffer heavy losses amid opposition to the Iraq war, George W. Bush dismissed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. After the Democratic Party’s shellacking in 2010, Barack Obama replaced senior adviser David Axelrod. Hegseth is seen by many as the leading contender to take the fall for Tuesday’s bloodbath given his role in prosecuting the Iran war, which was a major concern for voters, according to exit polls. Trump himself has called close advisers, asking them whether the defense secretary should be axed, sources told The Daily Mail. Some said they believe Hegseth will depart the Pentagon before January, when the new Congress is sworn in. “Trump is making phone calls, contemplating it,” a senior Republican told the outlet. If the president doesn’t dismiss Hegseth, the defense secretary is likely to be targeted for impeachment by Democrats. Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, has also vowed to seek Hegseth’s ouster when Congress returns. Over at the Pentagon, the situation feels “very dynamic” with “knives out,” a source familiar with the matter told The Washington Post. However, some close to the administration believe Hegseth may be safe, and that Trump could instead choose to fire General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who has overseen the Iran war. The White House has said Hegseth has the president’s full support, and the defense secretary has said he wishes to remain on until the end of Trump’s term. Vance, meanwhile, has already made clear he views the Iran war — now in its eighth month with no end in sight — as the proximate cause for his party’s midterm trouncing. “The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” he wrote in a lengthy Wednesday X post. Trump, who told Fox News that war was one of many factors that influenced Tuesday’s election results, was reportedly caught off guard by the post. “The President was blindsided by the tweet,” a White House official told The Daily Mail. Sources described the vice president’s statement as a “calculated effort to distance himself” from the conflict — and to pin the blame on more hawkish officials in the administration, like Rubio. In the lead-up to the war, Vance was the sole Cabinet official who tried talking Trump out of an all-out assault, The New York Times previously reported. Still, the vice president’s post was mocked by at least one White House insider. “It's too little, too late,” a top Trump official told The Daily Mail. 'He didn't even have the guts to really say the Iran war was a mistake, just that it's the reason we lost…It's pathetic, honestly. He needs to be willing to gamble with Trump's wrath to even have a chance at 2028.” At the same time, Wiles, dubbed the “ice maiden” by Trump, is reportedly moving to pit key players — particularly Vance and Rubio — against each other in order to save her own skin. “Shifting the blame to Hegseth, putting Rubio in the firing line, and giving JD a headache guarantees her survival post-midterm but also protects Trump's legacy,” one source told the outlet. Vance, who is more closely aligned with the GOP’s America First faction, can argue that he opposed the Iran war from the outset. Rubio, seen as a more traditional Republican, could counter that Vance nonetheless played a central role in the conflict, including participating in diplomatic talks that ultimately failed. “It sets up a situation in which Rubio or his allies will say, well no, Mr. President, you had JD negotiate in Iran not me,” the source said. “And that then sets up Vance and Rubio on a collision course.” Vance and Rubio are friends, and the latter has said he will back the vice president if he decides to run for the White House in 2028. Polls conducted earlier this year showed them both as leading contenders for the party’s nomination. The Independent has contacted the White House for comment. Exit polls indicate that the Iran war was just one of many concerns among midterm voters. The cost of living, government corruption, artificial intelligence and immigration enforcement also factored heavily into many voters’ minds. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments