Hegseth under mounting pressure after Republican midterm losses tied to Iran war

▲ Escalating

Hegseth under pressure as Republicans blame Iran war for midterm losses

On Friday's reporting cycle, Democrats were said to be planning to target Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Congress, while Republicans blame the Iran war he championed for their election losses. Trump says Hegseth is doing a very good job, though Trump and Vance have both blamed the war for the defeat. On Thursday Trump called the midterms "crooked" despite earlier accepting the results, and demanded Alaska's remaining votes go to its Republican senator. Democrats won both the House and the Senate, and take control of both chambers in January.

• Hegseth called efforts in Congress to impeach him a sham in a video message; Thomas Massie has filed eight articles of impeachment, and the White House denied reports that Hegseth and Rubio are set to leave.
• Vance publicly blamed the Iran war for the Republican defeat, described as one of the sharpest breaks with a sitting president in recent memory.
• Alaska and Mississippi Senate races were still uncalled, with ranked-choice counting possibly deciding Alaska.
• A federal judge, Tanya Chutkan, issued a 14-day order halting construction of Trump's 250-foot arch in Washington.