President Donald Trump has been asking allies what they think about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, with some pushing him to replace the Pentagon chief amid fallout from the Iran war during the midterm elections, according to two administration officials.

“There’s a lot of people who want his scalp and they smell blood in the water,” said one administration official familiar with the White House discussions. “They’re pushing Trump. Everyone knows Trump will want someone to blame.”

NBC News reported earlier Thursday that Trump has told some of his allies that he is considering replacing Hegseth. Asked by ABC News, though, whether he would replace Hegseth, Trump said he has “every intention to keep him.”

“I get these calls, you know, about him. I don’t understand why,” Trump said.

Hegseth was one of the architects and a key supporter of Trump’s decision to launch a joint military operation against Iran with Israel earlier this year. He is facing impeachment threats from both Republicans and Democrats when Congress returns next week.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., a staunch critic of the Iran war and foreign intervention, said he intends to force a vote on Hegseth when Congress returns next week if the Pentagon chief does not resign by then.

“Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists,” chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement.

“Secretary Hegseth is 100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office,” he added.

Trump has threatened in recent weeks to return to a full-scale military campaign against Iran after the midterms if Iran and the United States don’t reach a deal. The Qataris and Pakistanis continue to mediate between the U.S. and Iran.

Vice President JD Vance blamed the Iran war for Republicans’ disastrous midterm results. Asked if he agreed with Vance, Trump told reporters on Wednesday during a tour of the White House ballroom construction site that he had no regrets about attacking Iran, even if it affected the midterms.

“It’s largely true because it drove gasoline up a little bit,” Trump said Wednesday. “At the same time, if I had to do it again, I’d do it again.”

Hegseth’s time as defense secretary has been turbulent. Not even two months into his tenure in March 2025, he shared operational details about planned U.S. strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in a Signal chat with other administration officials. Hegseth shared a timeline and operational details, with the lapse revealed after then-National Security Adviser Mike Waltz accidentally added a reporter to the group.

Lily Becker contributed reporting.

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