White House Denies Cabinet Resignations Following Republican Midterm Losses

The White House rejected reports that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will resign following Republican election losses, maintaining that both officials will remain in their Cabinet roles.

Administration spokesmen dismissed media accounts of planned departures after Democrats won majorities in Congress during Tuesday's midterm contests, which party leaders largely blamed on the ongoing Iran war.

The pushback comes as Republican figures begin positioning themselves for the 2028 presidential race while confronting public dissatisfaction over military conflicts and rising consumer prices.

In an interview with The New York Times, Mr. Rubio denied rumors that he was planning an early departure to prepare for a presidential campaign.

"I love the work I'm doing," said Marco Rubio, the secretary of state.

Dylan Johnson, the assistant secretary of state for global public affairs, called reports by Bloomberg News and The Independent about potential resignations baseless news.

Meanwhile, Mr. Hegseth faces mounting criticism from congressional lawmakers over his direction of military operations in the Middle East.

"You see, they attack me. They attack us because we are effective," said Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, in a recorded video address. "It's not going to work. We will not back down."

Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, announced plans to introduce impeachment resolutions against Mr. Hegseth in the House of Representatives next week.

President Trump defended his defense secretary during a White House press briefing, citing the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and military actions in Iran as key accomplishments.

In a phone call with ABC News, Mr. Trump acknowledged receiving inquiries about Mr. Hegseth but expressed full intention to retain him in the administration.

Vice President J.D. Vance faced criticism from former national security adviser John Bolton after attributing the party's electoral defeats primarily to the nine-month war with Iran.

Mr. Bolton said that voters were equally frustrated by inflation and international tariffs, calling the vice president's public distance from Mr. Trump a risky political move.

Lawmakers will return to Washington next week, where Mr. Massie plans to force a vote on his impeachment motion before Democrats take control of Congress in January.