Trump backs Hegseth as Democrats plan Iran war investigations

President Donald Trump said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is doing "a very good job" and dismissed questions about replacing him, following Democratic victories in both chambers of Congress in midterm elections driven by voter anger over the Iran war. Democrats have pledged to investigate Hegseth's decisions on the Iran conflict and his purges of top military officers, with some lawmakers questioning the war's cost and legality. Republican Senator Thom Tillis said Hegseth faces "a reckoning" and that his strained relations with Congress undermine defense spending efforts. Hegseth has been a polarizing figure, facing impeachment articles from a Republican lawmaker over unauthorized hostilities against Iran. A potential alternative role for him is filling Tennessee's Senate seat vacated by Marsha Blackburn, though Trump said he has not heard about that possibility.