Republicans are increasingly blaming Defence Secretary Hegseth for the Iran war and the party's election losses, even as Trump publicly backs his defence chief.7 min readNov 6, 2026 07:28 PM IST First published on: Nov 6, 2026 at 07:23 PM IST ShareWhatsapptwitterFacebookUS Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks in a video statement, in Arlington, Virginia, US in this still image from handout video released Novemer 5, 2026. (Reuters)US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is facing growing pressure within Republicans after the party’s embarrassing defeat in the 2026 midterm elections, with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle preparing to challenge his handling of the Iran war.The fallout has put Hegseth in an uncomfortable position. While President Donald Trump has publicly defended his defence chief, several Republicans are now questioning his role in persuading the administration to launch military action against Iran, and whether the campaign was pursued without a clear exit strategy.Fox News Digital reported that several House Republicans believe a resolution to impeach Hegseth could pass as early as next week, when Congress returns. One Republican lawmaker, speaking to the outlet, summed up the situation bluntly, “He’s screwed.”The impeachment push is being led by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has said he intends to reintroduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth. He plans to use a privileged resolution, a mechanism that can force lawmakers to consider a measure despite opposition from party leadership. Once filed, lawmakers have two legislative days to hold a vote.World · DataThe price of war: What the US is spending in IranA breakdown of the munitions, aircraft and ships the conflict has consumed, and what the Pentagon wants to replace them.$47.1bnEstimated cost to the US military of the Iran war, from February 28 to October 16 Munitions~$29bn Operations~$12bn Equipment losses~$6bnConfirmedUS Central Command estimate given to Congress, via AP and The Washington Post. Operations figure is the remainder after munitions and equipment. Excludes damage to US bases.ConfirmedOfficial figuresReportedNews reportsExplainerBackgroundNot yet knownNot yet knownHow the bill has grownJune 29 $33.4bnPentagon inspector generalJuly $37.5bnDefence Secretary Pete HegsethEarly Sept $43.6bnCentral Command, via APOct 16 $47.1bnCentral Command, via APConfirmedPentagon estimates, as reported. The total has kept rising since fighting paused, because a large naval force is still enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports (Washington Examiner).Ammunition and precision weapons6 in 10dollars of the war’s cost have gone on replacing munitions ConfirmedOur calculation from Central Command’s estimate. Outlets round the munitions bill to between $29bn (AP) and nearly $30bn (Al-Monitor)$11.3bnspent on munitions in the war’s first six daysReportedThe Washington Post, citing Pentagon estimates~30Patriot interceptors fired to defend a single base in one Iranian attack ReportedAir Force Times, citing the Congressional Research ServiceMissile-defence interceptors, such as those fired by Patriot and THAAD batteries, are the weapons most in demand and most drawn down. A single Patriot interceptor costs millions of dollars.ReportedAPAircraft, ships and other resourcesEach plane is one US military aircraft listed as lost or damaged since February 28. 45MQ-9 Reaper drones lost 12F-15E Strike Eagles on the list 3MQ-1 drones downed 1F-35A fighter 1E-3 Sentry radar plane damaged 19Other aircraft, including helicopters and tankersConfirmedCongressional Research Service, October 5 update: 81 aircraft. Some damaged aircraft have returned to service. Four of the F-15Es were destroyed, three of them by friendly fire over Kuwait$7.6bncost of combat air operationsConfirmedCentral Command, via Al-Monitor and The New York Times~20surface warships enforcing the naval blockade of Iran, at a cost of $1.5bn so far ConfirmedCentral Command, via Al-MonitorGround equipment has also been hit: Iran destroyed a THAAD missile-defence radar, and strikes have damaged or destroyed hundreds of buildings at US bases in the region.ReportedAir Force Times; Pentagon inspector general, via APReplacing what has been usedConfirmedReplacing aircraft, drones and other equipment lost through August 1 could cost $1.9bn to $3.3bn, depending on how the Pentagon replaces them. $0$1.9bn$3.3bnCongressional Budget Office, September, cited by the Congressional Research Service. The Pentagon’s own October figure for equipment losses is higher, at about $6bn (via Reuters)ReportedThe war has used up to two-thirds of the Pentagon’s missile-defence interceptors since July 2025, and rebuilding those stocks could take at least five years.Congressional Budget Office analysis, via Military TimesReportedMunitions use has caused inventory shortfalls and exposed bottlenecks in the industrial base that makes them.Pentagon inspector general, via The Express TribuneNot yet knownThe cost of repairing US bases damaged by Iranian drones and missiles is not included in any estimate. The Pentagon’s acting comptroller told senators in July it could not yet be calculated.Al-MonitorHow the war is changing the Pentagon’s budgetMarch$200bn+first Pentagon request to the White House for war fundingReportedThe Washington PostJune 24$87.6bnemergency request sent to Congress, $67.1bn of it for the Pentagon and $21bn for munitionsConfirmedWhite House request, via Breaking DefenseFY2027$1.5tndefence budget sought: $1.15tn in the regular budget plus $350bn through reconciliationConfirmedJewish Insider; Government ExecutiveMunitions money in the regular defence budgetFY2026 $26.8bnFY2027 request $76.3bnConfirmedUp 185%. Government ExecutiveConfirmedWithout the extra funding, the Pentagon “could face critical shortfalls” that threaten pay, equipment and munitions, Hegseth told Congress on July 21.Via The Express TribuneNot yet knownWhether Congress approves the war money. Democrats, who largely oppose the supplemental, will take control of Congress after the midterms.Government Executive; The Washington PostThe human cost: at least 23 US service members have been killed and more than 860 wounded since February 28.ConfirmedPentagon Defense Casualty Analysis System, via Military TimesSources: US Central Command estimates to Congress, via AP, The Washington Post, Al-Monitor and Reuters; Congressional Research Service; Congressional Budget Office; Pentagon inspector general; Breaking Defense; Government Executive; Jewish Insider; Air Force Times; Military Times; Washington Examiner. Figures are estimates in US dollars, as of October 16 unless stated.Express InfoGenIECreated by Aniruddha DharHowever, the process is not straightforward. Before the House votes on impeachment itself, its leadership can move to table the resolution or refer it to a committee, effectively preventing it from proceeding. While this is where most privileged resolutions are stopped, some Republicans have told Fox News Digital they believe the effort against Hegseth could survive that hurdle.“If he introduces it, it’ll pass,” a second Republican lawmaker told the outlet. Two other Republicans reportedly shared that expectation.Attendance could also prove crucial. With Republicans holding only a narrow majority, absences among lawmakers who lost their re-election bids could make it easier for Democrats and a small number of Republicans to push the resolution through.Why Republicans are turning on HegsethThe anger over Hegseth’s role in the Iran war had been building for months, but the Republican defeat appears to have brought it into the open.CNN reported that several Republicans and party allies are now trying to hold Hegseth responsible for the election outcome. They argue that he played a key role in convincing Trump to attack Iran, despite the absence of a clear exit strategy or a plan to manage the political consequences of a prolonged conflict.Hegseth, a vocal supporter of the military campaign, has also been accused by Republican lawmakers of overstating the prospects of a quick and easy victory. According to CNN, some Republicans privately argued that he continued to advocate escalation even as there was little indication that sustained bombing was bringing Iran closer to surrender.The conflict has since become a major political liability for the administration, with the war adding to concerns over the cost of living and the wider economic impact of the campaign.Vice President JD Vance made the connection between the war and the election result unusually explicit on Wednesday. “The reason we lost is the war,” he said, without assigning specific responsibility for the decision to launch it.CNN also reported that some Republicans remain reluctant to directly blame Trump for the party’s losses, even as they turn their attention towards Hegseth. One former senior Pentagon official described the shift in sentiment as a turning point.“The pivot is starting,” the official told CNN. “This has been primarily a Department of War-led effort because you chose to take military action to resolve a foreign policy matter.”Trump stands by his defence secretaryDespite the growing criticism, Trump has continued to publicly back Hegseth. Asked about the defence secretary’s position after the election, Trump said he was doing a “good job”. On Thursday, he went further, saying Hegseth had “done a fantastic job” and suggesting that opposition to him was linked to his decision to remove several senior military officers.#WATCH | US President Donald Trump says, "United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has done a fantastic job. We had more generals than we did in World War II… We had a war with Venezuela; it was over in 48 minutes. We had total success. No deaths… We have a war with a place called the Islamic Republic of Iran. We control the Straits. We’re doing more oil right now going through the straits than we did before the war started. If you look at Russia, Ukraine, 25,000 people being killed a month. We’re going to get that settled pretty soon… We have succeeded with the blockade tremendously, and we have destroyed somebody…" (Source: The White House/YouTube)— ANI (@ANI) November 5, 2026CNN reported that Trump had privately told aides he wanted Hegseth to fight back against impeachment efforts and investigations into his decision-making. One White House official told the network that Trump had recently praised him in person, saying, “You’re my best guy. You’re the best guy I have.”Story continues below this adThe President has also dismissed suggestions that he might remove Hegseth, despite reports that some of his allies have raised concerns about the defence secretary’s future.Most ReadA current White House official, however, told Fox News Digital that the election result could eventually have consequences for Hegseth.“[Tuesday] would have looked very different without the Iran war. I believe you’ll ultimately see [Trump] hold Pete Hegseth accountable and that will play out in the lame duck,” the official said.The White House has criticised the impeachment push. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News, “As the President has said, he’s willing to work with anyone to continue delivering victories for hardworking Americans. If Democrats choose to pursue sham investigations and radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people.”Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has also rejected speculation about Hegseth’s future, saying the defence secretary would not be deterred by what he described as politically motivated investigations.Hegseth vows to fight impeachmentHegseth has shown little indication that he intends to step aside. In a video posted on Thursday, he dismissed the impeachment effort as a political attack and compared it to the two impeachment proceedings faced by Trump.“A disgruntled, defeated congressman along with all his Democrat allies has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly. Just like they tried against President Trump twice,” he said.At the War Department: We Stand. We Fight. We Defend the Republic. https://t.co/Kkr0DazmCE— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) November 5, 2026“It’s all about the politics of personal destruction. Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me.”In a separate statement, Parnell said Hegseth remained “100% committed” to leading the Pentagon until the end of Trump’s term.But the pressure is not coming only from Democrats. Republican Senator Thom Tillis told CBS News that Hegseth had “a reckoning” coming, pointing to his strained relationship with lawmakers and the administration’s efforts to secure support for a proposed $1.5 trillion defence spending package.Democrats, who are set to take control of Congress, have also promised investigations into the Pentagon’s handling of the Iran war.(With inputs from agencies)AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...AdvertisementAdvertisement