US President Donald Trump has described the Republicans’ defeat in the midterm elections as “a giant step back in history,” as he suggested he could dismiss some officials and make a few changes in his cabinet.
The Republicans’ defeat in Tuesday’s midterm elections saw Democrats take control of both chambers of Congress.
“America took a giant step back in History with the results of the last Election,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. He added, “But have no fear, we will be back, BIGGER AND STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE!”
In an interview with CBS News’ "60 Minutes," Trump acknowledged that the election defeat could force him to make some changes to his cabinet.
“I love my Cabinet. I think they’re good. But I’ll … be doing maybe a few changes. I don’t wanna mention who,” Trump said.
Trump, who is facing mounting scrutiny over his administration’s economic and military failures, also indicated that he was considering firing some officials. When Ross Douthat asked whether he had plans to dismiss anyone, the president replied, “I do.”
Trump’s remarks come amid growing calls from both sides of the political aisle for the impeachment of senior administration officials, including War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Todd Blanche.
Calls for Hegseth’s removal have been particularly loud, with critics blaming him for the unpopular war of aggression on Iran, which they say contributed to the Republicans’ crushing defeat in the midterm elections.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky told CNN that he planned to call for a vote to impeach what he described as Trump’s incompetent war secretary, whom he blamed for dragging the US military into an illegal war against Iran.
Massie also took to social media, saying his impeachment resolution was “a much gentler version of what’s coming when Dems control Congress. They’ll have hearings & trials.”
Hegseth hit back at Massie’s impeachment call in a video posted on X, saying, “A disgruntled, defeated congressman, along with all his Democrat allies, has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly.”
During the 60 Minutes interview, Trump reiterated his confidence in Hegseth.
“Look, we’ve won two wars. We’ve won Venezuela and taken out billions and billions and billions of dollars already … We won that war in less than one hour,” Trump claimed.
When Douthat asked whether he credited Hegseth for these supposed victories, Trump replied, “No. But he was a part of it.”
Meanwhile, in the aftermath of the Republicans’ embarrassing and crushing midterm defeat, several White House officials have parted ways with the Trump administration.
On Friday, Trump announced that his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, was leaving the White House and that longtime adviser Stephen Miller would replace her.
A day earlier, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, had resigned.
In an interview with Fox News, Dhillon said she “wasn’t asked to resign” and had actually submitted her resignation three weeks earlier.
She added that Susie Wiles had asked her to wait until after the midterm elections to make her departure public.
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