Nov. 5, 2026
Pete Hegseth May Become Republican Scapegoat For Midterm Blowout, OR The Next Senator From Tennessee
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RSS Feed The news headlines are flying that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth may soon be out of his powerful cabinet position. Hegseth is facing impeachment accusations and could be investigated for alleged misconduct when Democrats return to power in January for his role in the Iran war. While President Trump has reiterated his confidence in Hegseth following the election results, he did have an interesting answer when asked whether he thought Hegseth could become the next Republican senator for Tennessee, now that Senator Marsha Blackburn has been elected Governor of Tennessee.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, November 5th. Republicans still trying to figure out what the hell happened on Tuesday. They know they lost. They know they lost bad. But now they're trying to figure out why. Finger pointing. Blame game. It's well underway. And a lot of fingers are pointing at the Pentagon. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Ropes, I didn't see... I mean, they are, like, focused. right now on blaming one dude who is not supposed to be political, actually.
00:00:35
Speaker 2: It's interesting because, obviously, I think everyone would have expected finger-pointing to ensue when there's such a dramatic, historic loss to one party. Usually, people point to the man at the top where the buck stops, but when the man at the top is pointing the finger at everyone else, I guess that's just a non-starter.
00:00:56
Speaker 1: Everybody knows not to point the finger at him. Oh, no. Can you believe still nobody, you looking at all this coverage, there is no one really giving President Trump the business for this.
00:01:09
Speaker 3: No Republican is.
00:01:10
Speaker 2: No.
00:01:11
Speaker 3: Democrats are.
00:01:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, he did this wrong. Too many rallies. He should have stayed off the trail. He should have done more of this. He should have pivoted. He should have talked about this more. Nope. That's not the drumbeat of criticism we're hearing.
00:01:21
Speaker 2: Or he should have talked less about his... high-priced construction projects and his obsession with putting his name on everything and maybe actually address the concerns of the American people and acknowledge that it's painful and not told them to get over it, you would have been nuked otherwise.
00:01:39
Speaker 1: Look, pundits, yes, pundits are saying those things, but, Rose, Republicans are not holding him responsible. He is a lame-duck president now. He still will, I guess, Rose, wield enough power that they fear him, fear him not to break From him right now and to stay in line. So with that, if we know the fingers aren't going to be pointing towards him, people then will point towards policy, right? Republicans didn't have good enough policies to help the economy. You didn't do that. We're used to that stuff. Robes, one guy? One guy is getting the heat for this, and he wasn't on the campaign trail.
00:02:16
Speaker 2: It sounds like everyone in the back room, or at least there was an anticipation. Maybe this was worse than perhaps feared, but they saw this coming, so they had to have. A Wednesday strategy or a post-midterm election blowout strategy. And it seems like they have united in blaming the Iran war. It's the Iran war's fault. The war is the reason the economy is where it is. The war is the reason why people feel the way they do. And who was responsible for the war?
00:02:47
Speaker 1: Trump.
00:02:48
Speaker 3: Pete Hegseth.
00:02:50
Speaker 1: Right? You asked that question and the answer is supposed to be the president.
00:02:55
Speaker 2: Right.
00:02:56
Speaker 1: Robes, even, it's gone the next step. Americans, like in all the polling, exit polling, polling ahead of time, was, yes, the war in Iran and all the things that came with it. Higher prices for this, that, and the other. But Robes, they've taken it beyond just being mad about the war and holding Trump responsible. They're directing it towards Pete Hexeth for being the one that convinced the president to do all this stuff. Robes, he's the president. He's the most powerful man in the world. We're going to blame somebody for being in his ear?
00:03:28
Speaker 3: Exactly.
00:03:30
Speaker 1: Well, Hegseth is getting it. Hegseth is getting the business left and right. Robes, I haven't looked at the Cal Sheehan polymarket and all these prediction markets to see what the chances are of him continuing out the term through the end of the year as defense secretary. But right now, there ain't a whole lot of takers for Pete Hegseth still being in this job much longer.
00:03:51
Speaker 3: Yes, the headlines.
00:03:52
Speaker 2: You've actually, you gathered a bunch of them from today and they all kind of say the same thing.
00:03:57
Speaker 1: We could have just read the headlines and say, thanks for listening. We'll see you on the next episode of Amy and TJ. These tell the story.
00:04:03
Speaker 3: Yeah, let's go through a couple of them.
00:04:05
Speaker 2: Pete Hegseth may take the fall for Republicans' midterm losses. Republicans quickly turn against Pete Hegseth after midterms rout. Knives out at Pentagon after unpopular Iran war dooms GOP in midterms. Trump discussing possible Hegseth replacements, sources say. Pentagon Pete wakes up to a nightmare after election disaster. Trump prepares to dump Pete Hegseth over midterms destruction. And finally, Pete Hegseth on the chopping block after midterm losses.
00:04:41
Speaker 1: I put that one last because it came from Fox News. They use the word chopping block in their reporting. Pete Hegseth is on the chopping block. I didn't see this coming. Maybe it makes a lot of sense to a lot of folks. Yes, the Iran war is popular. People voted a certain way, but they are directing it. They are blaming him. Him, okay. I mean, does that, he has been Robes. I would say he's been a bigger cheerleader for the war in Iran than the president.
00:05:21
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
00:05:22
Speaker 2: I mean, he, well, the president renamed it, but I'm sure much to Pete Hegseth's enjoyment, they renamed the Department of Defense the Department of War. He refers to himself as the Secretary of War. War is in his title. War is what, yes, he was a part of creating, so to speak. And remember when they all told us, the president told us, Pete Hegseth told us, this was going to be quick. This was going to be three to four weeks. And this is going to be saving the world from the potential nuclear disaster that Iran was capable of creating.
00:06:08
Speaker 1: Imminently, by the way. That's what they told us, three or four weeks. This was in February? Yes. This is going to be a one-year war here in a few months. Pete Hex said that every turn. Rosie, remember how he came in? to that job, remember he called all the generals back, got in front of them, no more beardos, no more weirdos, no dudes in dresses, we're getting rid of all this DEI, it was uber masculine, we got bombs, we got fighters, we can blow anybody, remember that, all that bravado, and now a country that you said can't even function, we can't beat, they have nothing left, that's what we're told, they're not a functioning country, we've cut them off in all ways, how are we still Paying $ 4. 50 for gas How are we still losing So with that to see him Get in front of a camera every time We got this we can do this They have no capability He has been the champion Colin what's his name From Jost Colin Jost has been nailing this dude Every weekend on Saturday Night Live That is The character that we see in front of a camera We got this Chugging a beer That's the dude that is the face and the voice of the Iran war. The Iran war that's costing everybody an extra $ 1, 000 in gas. Yeah. Okay. When you start piecing it together, he is the poster child for most Americans' problems right now. The economy, the Iran war. All these things are tied together. Yes. Can't kick the president out, so let's go with this guy. Yeah.
00:07:50
Speaker 2: And then add to that the live streamed execution debacle where he, again, with his high T, was standing on an aircraft carrier talking about this public execution of the Fort Hood shooter and saying, we're going to put him in front of a firing squad on the same day of the week at the same time he shot and killed and murdered some of our servicemen and women.
00:08:14
Speaker 3: So we're going to do the same to him.
00:08:16
Speaker 2: In front of the world on a live stream, literally right out of, taking a page out of the book of Al-Qaeda, of ISIS, and oh, let's not forget, this man is in a wheelchair. There were some major missteps in that where the president actually had to undo what Pete Hegseth said we were going to do as a country.
00:08:40
Speaker 1: Do you remember a single comment that was positive in response to him saying that?
00:08:45
Speaker 2: No.
00:08:46
Speaker 1: The whole world condemned that idea.
00:08:48
Speaker 3: It's barbaric.
00:08:49
Speaker 1: The whole world. And even the president had to pump the brakes because, wait a minute, we're going to execute a guy in a wheelchair?
00:08:56
Speaker 2: You remember?
00:08:57
Speaker 1: The president didn't even realize the guy was in a wheelchair. And Pete Hegseth is going out, popping off at the mouth that he's going to do this thing to the president and not know ahead of time because it didn't seem like he did. Now that is a glaring... If he would have fired him on the spot... I would have gone, okay, I can see that.
00:09:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, same, exactly, because that's just not who we are. That is not America. I don't think it's not the America that I think most of us want the world to see.
00:09:25
Speaker 1: Now, that one was a wild, wild idea and a wild misstep. So we could, and they've been talking about this for a while with Pete Hegseth. I don't know if there's anybody in the administration, maybe Kash Patel, that members of Congress, Democrats in particular on some of these committees- They can't wait to get rid of.
00:09:44
Speaker 3: I think those two are at the top of the list.
00:09:46
Speaker 1: Which one would you have to put number one?
00:09:48
Speaker 3: Pete Hegseth.
00:09:48
Speaker 1: I would too, probably.
00:09:49
Speaker 3: Because he's more outspoken.
00:09:50
Speaker 2: As much as Kash Patel doesn't ever want to miss a photo op or a press conference, Pete Hegseth.
00:09:56
Speaker 3: Creates his own news in ways that are baffling.
00:09:58
Speaker 1: You're probably right about that. So with that said, Rose, Pete Hegseth has been a target for a long time. Thomas Massey, who has been a target of President Trump's and who is going to be leaving Congress, a Republican from Kentucky. What was the right way to describe him? A thorn in the president's side? What do you call him? Yeah.
00:10:15
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:10:16
Speaker 3: I think that's a really good way to put it, yes.
00:10:18
Speaker 1: So he has previously introduced articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. That was earlier in the year. It didn't go anywhere. They've been sitting around. He said he's going to reintroduce them next week.
00:10:27
Speaker 2: Yep.
00:10:28
Speaker 1: Robes, next week, we're going to do this again.
00:10:32
Speaker 2: Yes, and his tweet was very specific and offered a suggestion.
00:10:37
Speaker 1: He gives them an out. We don't have to go through this. Yes. Actually, Robes, we don't want to see this, do we? We just had this midterm battle. We still haven't settled some of these questions. races in the country. And next week we got to go into a, a partisan back and forth and fighting over the Iran war and trying to impeach the defense secretary. We don't want that. So he's given us a way out.
00:10:57
Speaker 2: Yes. Thomas Massey put this tweet out for everyone. There is one contingency in which I won't reintroduce the articles of impeachment.
00:11:08
Speaker 3: Hegseth resigns.
00:11:11
Speaker 2: Don't see that one happening unless he's given something. Look, President Trump has obviously let go all of his female cabinet members, and he's done so gently, I would say.
00:11:26
Speaker 1: He loves this guy.
00:11:27
Speaker 2: And he loves Hegseth. And so, look, I imagine there will be a soft landing, but it seems impossible at this point that he stays on.
00:11:38
Speaker 1: Your prediction would be before the impeachment comes up. He would be out of there before there was an impeachment vote.
00:11:46
Speaker 2: When they come back, Congress comes back into session next week, but I don't know at what day it would be.
00:11:53
Speaker 3: I wouldn't be surprised. It's Thursday. If tomorrow we heard something, to be honest.
00:11:58
Speaker 1: Oh, on a Friday. Ah, a Friday. Always good to get some bad news on a Friday. But that is the out he has given Hegseth. Now, the Pentagon and the White House putting out statements about this. The Pentagon... immediately poo-pooed the idea as you could expect and wrote, I guess, some of this language. You just took a sip of water. You good now? I'm good. There is some language in here from the Pentagon response that seems, well, right out of the Pentagon and Hegseth's type of playbook.
00:12:28
Speaker 2: Yes. It's that Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists. He is 100% committed to leading the department until the end. of President Trump's term in office. The Department of War has followed the law, and our secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops, and protect Americans. We will continue to drive President Trump's agenda at the Department of War, despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats.
00:13:06
Speaker 1: That statement, yeah, you say what you have to say, but that doesn't really mean anything. We hear statements all the time like this, and then next thing you know, people are gone. Is there a high-profile woman he fired? A man he's fired yet?
00:13:18
Speaker 3: No, it's just Pam Bondi. It's... Kristi Noem. Kristi Noem.
00:13:22
Speaker 1: Tulsi Gabbard left for other reasons. But yeah, we saw the writing on the wall. I'm missing a woman, a high-profile woman.
00:13:28
Speaker 2: But I can't think of a high-profile man he has let go.
00:13:33
Speaker 3: This would be by far the biggest... Oh, yeah. Biggest... Oh my goodness.
00:13:43
Speaker 1: This would be enormous. He has been the guy. This has been the biggest part of the president's, besides tariffs, this has been the Iran war is his presidency, or at least this term. And this has been the guy leading the charge. Faithfully. Loudly.
00:14:00
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
00:14:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm just saying he's been his biggest defender. He's been right by his side. They have been two peas in a pod, so to speak. I only have the former national security advisor, Mike Waltz, fired in May of 2025 after inadvertently adding that journalist to the Signal Group chat where secret war plans were disclosed.
00:14:19
Speaker 3: But wasn't Pete Heggs at the part of that? Mike Waltz? The former national security advisor, his NSA.
00:14:24
Speaker 1: He lived over that?
00:14:25
Speaker 2: But yes, but he was fired. But wasn't Pete Hegseth a part of all of that debacle as well?
00:14:31
Speaker 3: So it's so funny.
00:14:31
Speaker 2: Someone else took the fall for Hegseth on that one.
00:14:36
Speaker 1: I forgot about that. That was an ugly, I say an ugly story, but it was an embarrassing story that Pete Hegseth, you know what his defense was? You remember? There was nothing top secret in it. That was the defense at the time. I'm seeing here, it was Lori Chavez, Secretary of Labor. She had misconduct allegations. She had to step down. But yes, Bondi, Noam, Gabbard, Leavitt, no, Carolyn Leavitt left on her own.
00:15:07
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:15:08
Speaker 1: Katie Zachariah.
00:15:08
Speaker 3: You have to put Katie Zachariah in there, too.
00:15:11
Speaker 1: And then there was one we just forgot.
00:15:12
Speaker 2: What?
00:15:13
Speaker 1: Kimberly Guilfoyle.
00:15:14
Speaker 3: Oh, gosh, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
00:15:15
Speaker 2: Yes, so he has disproportionately fired the women around him, and I guess other than his NSA guy, which we even, he wasn't that big of a deal in terms of just name recognition and what he meant to the administration.
00:15:30
Speaker 3: This would obviously be fairly significant.
00:15:34
Speaker 1: But stay with us, folks. What does the president say about all this? Yes, he was specifically asked about. Hegseth will tell you exactly what he said in his very Short and sweet and direct response. Also coming up, there might be a parachute for Pentagon Pete. He might already have another job lined up. Stay here.
00:16:05
Speaker 2: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. Yes, it feels like the writing is on the wall. The rumors are certainly everywhere that War Secretary, or as we like to call him, the Secretary of Defense, Pete.
00:16:19
Speaker 3: Hegseth, may not have many more days on the job.
00:16:22
Speaker 2: Now, the president was directly asked about this yesterday. We mentioned all the headlines out there, and he didn't have much to say about it, which might be telling.
00:16:32
Speaker 1: Tell people where the president was when he was asked this question.
00:16:35
Speaker 2: He was talking about his ballroom construction because that's all he was focused on yesterday. One of the most significant, just like absolutely devastating midterm elections for Republicans anywhere. He had nothing to say about election results, had nothing to say about what the next two years may look like with a much different looking Congress. No, he wanted to talk about marble floors and the construction of his ballroom. You know.
00:17:05
Speaker 1: That thing's probably going to be nice when it's done.
00:17:07
Speaker 3: It better be.
00:17:08
Speaker 1: I mean, it's going to be gorgeous. I mean, I can only imagine. That thing's going to be stunning when it gets done.
00:17:14
Speaker 2: I guess Trump is hoping that is going to be his lasting legacy, the aesthetics he's leaving behind.
00:17:19
Speaker 1: Is the plan here to try to have that ready before he leaves? He wants to do an event.
00:17:25
Speaker 3: I would imagine that would be very important to him.
00:17:28
Speaker 1: Can you get that thing built that quickly?
00:17:31
Speaker 3: I guess he would say, if anybody can, I can.
00:17:33
Speaker 1: But then we have a state dinner there, and if it's shoddy work, just like the reflecting pool, we're going to have parts of the ceiling falling on world leaders or something. I mean, just... Peeling gold leaf?
00:17:44
Speaker 3: I don't know. We shall see.
00:17:46
Speaker 1: Anyway, it was crazy that that's where he was. Robes, this seemed like a... crazy.
00:17:51
Speaker 3: Well, it's kind of like, don't look at this glaring thing right here. Instead, look over here. Don't look there.
00:17:58
Speaker 1: Look over here. You know what I'm saying? The idea that we're going to forget about the midterms because you're showing me a construction site. There's no way he thought he was going to distract from it.
00:18:08
Speaker 3: He's just moved on.
00:18:09
Speaker 1: He's moved on.
00:18:10
Speaker 2: He's moved on, but he was directly asked about Pentagon Pete about Pete Hegseth and his ability to stay in his position and whether or not he, his job was in jeopardy. The president said this and I quote, no, I think he's doing a very good job.
00:18:26
Speaker 1: That was it.
00:18:27
Speaker 2: Period. Period.
00:18:30
Speaker 3: That was it.
00:18:31
Speaker 2: And look, CBS is reporting, and you mentioned Fox News' headline, which was telling, but CBS is reporting that Trump is absolutely asking around about who he could replace Pete Hegseth with. They have, they didn't name sources, but they claim they have multiple sources from within the White House saying that the president is actively looking to replace Pete Hegseth.
00:18:54
Speaker 1: Whose reporting was, I want to be able to quote them, that's even floated DeSantis' name out of Florida. As a possible replacement.
00:19:02
Speaker 3: That would make a lot of sense. We know he's tough on crime.
00:19:05
Speaker 1: He needs a new gig starting in January.
00:19:07
Speaker 3: He certainly does. Tough on crime.
00:19:09
Speaker 2: Look, we say this just because of his obvious agenda to really try and bring, I guess, closure for a lot of folks. who have waited in some cases decades and decades to see their loved one's killer executed. He is set now today, actually, as we record this, to tie his record-setting execution year. The state of Florida will be at 19 today, and he has two more already scheduled. So, yes, we know he is tough on crime, or at least making sure justice is served.
00:19:43
Speaker 1: Can you imagine him, the guy who will sign any death warrant as the defense secretary?
00:19:49
Speaker 2: I don't know, I guess you could, I guess that makes a little bit more sense maybe even than Pete Hegseth himself. But in terms of what Pete Hegseth's future may be, you mentioned DeSantis will be out of a job and there could be an opening at the Department of War. Well, the Tennessee Senate seat, there is one that is open because yes, the senator is Marsha Blackburn has now just been elected to governor of that state, the first female governor in the state of Tennessee. She would be the one, correct, to appoint whoever would take her seat. And I'm sure she'd be listening if President Trump made a suggestion like, oh, I've got a defense secretary who might need a job. What do you think about putting Pete Hegseth in your Senate seat?
00:20:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, because the last time I recommended one, Ms. Darlene Graham, that went really well for us. Now, he can do this. I guess he has residence set up in Tennessee. That's why he's able to do this. Robes, you know good and hell well. Hell, you know that from, we can go back to Illinois, Blagojevich. Robes, the lobbying that's going on right now for that Senate seat, you're telling me I can just get appointed? without having to go through the process of running for it. And then I will have, will they have till 2028 for this seat?
00:21:14
Speaker 3: I believe for this seat, 2028.
00:21:15
Speaker 1: Got a few years left on this one. You get ahead of the next person who wants to run. Robes, there is lobbying behind the scenes from so many people who want this gig. And yes, there's reporting that this is an open secret that Pete Hexeth wants this. It's an open secret that he's lobbying for this behind the scenes. And it's an open secret that he knows good and hell well. He needs some kind of good look before he gets fired as the defense secretary in the middle of a war. He can say he's doing it to go back and serve Tennessee. He's going back to be a member of the Senate. So yeah, he's lobbying for it, Robes. And the president even said, I haven't heard about that, but maybe this could... Yeah, I think they would love him there. But Robes, the Senate hates this man. He's going to go... hang with 99 other people who don't like him. They have made clear Republicans and Democrats at the Senate. Can you imagine him becoming a senator?
00:22:15
Speaker 3: He's just not that likable of a person.
00:22:18
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know.
00:22:18
Speaker 2: I mean, I guess if you like the manosphere and you like laughing at weak people saying they.
00:22:23
Speaker 3: Have low T, I guess he's your guy. It's tough. The things that come out of his mouth, the arrogance that just... He sweats arrogance. Like every... thing that comes out of him.
00:22:35
Speaker 1: Some call it confidence.
00:22:36
Speaker 3: Some call it, yes, and some of it say that, some people would say that's what you need in a defense secretary, okay?
00:22:42
Speaker 2: But look, when the president was specifically asked about Pete Hegseth potentially being appointed to this Senate seat in Tennessee, his quote was, I actually think he'd be very popular if he did that, but I haven't heard that at all.
00:23:00
Speaker 1: Tennessee, he might be. Rural areas, hunters... Red State, maybe. People, he might, this might work. Kid Rock lives in Nashville. They can hang out together. I mean, really, he might work. That might be a place. I would like to see the polling of his popularity state by state. I'd be curious.
00:23:21
Speaker 3: I'd be curious too. But look, that would be his best case scenario. No question.
00:23:27
Speaker 2: And that would be a hell of a golden parachute for him to leave the cabinet position for a Senate seat that he would then have to run for once again, next election cycle.
00:23:39
Speaker 3: I believe that in the next presidential election, but.
00:23:41
Speaker 1: He would just walk in there right now, have a new gig, but wrote to have him as a member of the Senate and You've seen those hearings. You've seen how these Republicans even come after him. Rove, that is hostile as hell.
00:23:58
Speaker 3: I cannot imagine.
00:24:00
Speaker 1: What's new? I cannot imagine. That's me wanting to be on the Board of Regents at LSU. Come on in, TJ. Yeah, we welcome a Razorback.
00:24:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, like I'd go be a professor at the University of Alabama. I'm sure I'd be welcome as a Georgia Bulldog.
00:24:14
Speaker 1: First day, everybody, welcome to campus.
00:24:18
Speaker 2: Oh, my goodness.
00:24:19
Speaker 1: I can't imagine. So we shall see. But Robes, they do not want an impeachment hearing with this guy.
00:24:24
Speaker 2: No.
00:24:25
Speaker 3: So this would be one way to avoid that. We shall see. We will stay on top of it. We always appreciate you listening to us, everyone. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Thursday, November 5th. Republicans still trying to figure out what the hell happened on Tuesday. They know they lost. They know they lost bad. But now they're trying to figure out why. Finger pointing. Blame game. It's well underway. And a lot of fingers are pointing at the Pentagon. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Ropes, I didn't see... I mean, they are, like, focused. right now on blaming one dude who is not supposed to be political, actually.
00:00:35
Speaker 2: It's interesting because, obviously, I think everyone would have expected finger-pointing to ensue when there's such a dramatic, historic loss to one party. Usually, people point to the man at the top where the buck stops, but when the man at the top is pointing the finger at everyone else, I guess that's just a non-starter.
00:00:56
Speaker 1: Everybody knows not to point the finger at him. Oh, no. Can you believe still nobody, you looking at all this coverage, there is no one really giving President Trump the business for this.
00:01:09
Speaker 3: No Republican is.
00:01:10
Speaker 2: No.
00:01:11
Speaker 3: Democrats are.
00:01:12
Speaker 1: Yeah, he did this wrong. Too many rallies. He should have stayed off the trail. He should have done more of this. He should have pivoted. He should have talked about this more. Nope. That's not the drumbeat of criticism we're hearing.
00:01:21
Speaker 2: Or he should have talked less about his... high-priced construction projects and his obsession with putting his name on everything and maybe actually address the concerns of the American people and acknowledge that it's painful and not told them to get over it, you would have been nuked otherwise.
00:01:39
Speaker 1: Look, pundits, yes, pundits are saying those things, but, Rose, Republicans are not holding him responsible. He is a lame-duck president now. He still will, I guess, Rose, wield enough power that they fear him, fear him not to break From him right now and to stay in line. So with that, if we know the fingers aren't going to be pointing towards him, people then will point towards policy, right? Republicans didn't have good enough policies to help the economy. You didn't do that. We're used to that stuff. Robes, one guy? One guy is getting the heat for this, and he wasn't on the campaign trail.
00:02:16
Speaker 2: It sounds like everyone in the back room, or at least there was an anticipation. Maybe this was worse than perhaps feared, but they saw this coming, so they had to have. A Wednesday strategy or a post-midterm election blowout strategy. And it seems like they have united in blaming the Iran war. It's the Iran war's fault. The war is the reason the economy is where it is. The war is the reason why people feel the way they do. And who was responsible for the war?
00:02:47
Speaker 1: Trump.
00:02:48
Speaker 3: Pete Hegseth.
00:02:50
Speaker 1: Right? You asked that question and the answer is supposed to be the president.
00:02:55
Speaker 2: Right.
00:02:56
Speaker 1: Robes, even, it's gone the next step. Americans, like in all the polling, exit polling, polling ahead of time, was, yes, the war in Iran and all the things that came with it. Higher prices for this, that, and the other. But Robes, they've taken it beyond just being mad about the war and holding Trump responsible. They're directing it towards Pete Hexeth for being the one that convinced the president to do all this stuff. Robes, he's the president. He's the most powerful man in the world. We're going to blame somebody for being in his ear?
00:03:28
Speaker 3: Exactly.
00:03:30
Speaker 1: Well, Hegseth is getting it. Hegseth is getting the business left and right. Robes, I haven't looked at the Cal Sheehan polymarket and all these prediction markets to see what the chances are of him continuing out the term through the end of the year as defense secretary. But right now, there ain't a whole lot of takers for Pete Hegseth still being in this job much longer.
00:03:51
Speaker 3: Yes, the headlines.
00:03:52
Speaker 2: You've actually, you gathered a bunch of them from today and they all kind of say the same thing.
00:03:57
Speaker 1: We could have just read the headlines and say, thanks for listening. We'll see you on the next episode of Amy and TJ. These tell the story.
00:04:03
Speaker 3: Yeah, let's go through a couple of them.
00:04:05
Speaker 2: Pete Hegseth may take the fall for Republicans' midterm losses. Republicans quickly turn against Pete Hegseth after midterms rout. Knives out at Pentagon after unpopular Iran war dooms GOP in midterms. Trump discussing possible Hegseth replacements, sources say. Pentagon Pete wakes up to a nightmare after election disaster. Trump prepares to dump Pete Hegseth over midterms destruction. And finally, Pete Hegseth on the chopping block after midterm losses.
00:04:41
Speaker 1: I put that one last because it came from Fox News. They use the word chopping block in their reporting. Pete Hegseth is on the chopping block. I didn't see this coming. Maybe it makes a lot of sense to a lot of folks. Yes, the Iran war is popular. People voted a certain way, but they are directing it. They are blaming him. Him, okay. I mean, does that, he has been Robes. I would say he's been a bigger cheerleader for the war in Iran than the president.
00:05:21
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
00:05:22
Speaker 2: I mean, he, well, the president renamed it, but I'm sure much to Pete Hegseth's enjoyment, they renamed the Department of Defense the Department of War. He refers to himself as the Secretary of War. War is in his title. War is what, yes, he was a part of creating, so to speak. And remember when they all told us, the president told us, Pete Hegseth told us, this was going to be quick. This was going to be three to four weeks. And this is going to be saving the world from the potential nuclear disaster that Iran was capable of creating.
00:06:08
Speaker 1: Imminently, by the way. That's what they told us, three or four weeks. This was in February? Yes. This is going to be a one-year war here in a few months. Pete Hex said that every turn. Rosie, remember how he came in? to that job, remember he called all the generals back, got in front of them, no more beardos, no more weirdos, no dudes in dresses, we're getting rid of all this DEI, it was uber masculine, we got bombs, we got fighters, we can blow anybody, remember that, all that bravado, and now a country that you said can't even function, we can't beat, they have nothing left, that's what we're told, they're not a functioning country, we've cut them off in all ways, how are we still Paying $ 4. 50 for gas How are we still losing So with that to see him Get in front of a camera every time We got this we can do this They have no capability He has been the champion Colin what's his name From Jost Colin Jost has been nailing this dude Every weekend on Saturday Night Live That is The character that we see in front of a camera We got this Chugging a beer That's the dude that is the face and the voice of the Iran war. The Iran war that's costing everybody an extra $ 1, 000 in gas. Yeah. Okay. When you start piecing it together, he is the poster child for most Americans' problems right now. The economy, the Iran war. All these things are tied together. Yes. Can't kick the president out, so let's go with this guy. Yeah.
00:07:50
Speaker 2: And then add to that the live streamed execution debacle where he, again, with his high T, was standing on an aircraft carrier talking about this public execution of the Fort Hood shooter and saying, we're going to put him in front of a firing squad on the same day of the week at the same time he shot and killed and murdered some of our servicemen and women.
00:08:14
Speaker 3: So we're going to do the same to him.
00:08:16
Speaker 2: In front of the world on a live stream, literally right out of, taking a page out of the book of Al-Qaeda, of ISIS, and oh, let's not forget, this man is in a wheelchair. There were some major missteps in that where the president actually had to undo what Pete Hegseth said we were going to do as a country.
00:08:40
Speaker 1: Do you remember a single comment that was positive in response to him saying that?
00:08:45
Speaker 2: No.
00:08:46
Speaker 1: The whole world condemned that idea.
00:08:48
Speaker 3: It's barbaric.
00:08:49
Speaker 1: The whole world. And even the president had to pump the brakes because, wait a minute, we're going to execute a guy in a wheelchair?
00:08:56
Speaker 2: You remember?
00:08:57
Speaker 1: The president didn't even realize the guy was in a wheelchair. And Pete Hegseth is going out, popping off at the mouth that he's going to do this thing to the president and not know ahead of time because it didn't seem like he did. Now that is a glaring... If he would have fired him on the spot... I would have gone, okay, I can see that.
00:09:14
Speaker 2: Yeah, same, exactly, because that's just not who we are. That is not America. I don't think it's not the America that I think most of us want the world to see.
00:09:25
Speaker 1: Now, that one was a wild, wild idea and a wild misstep. So we could, and they've been talking about this for a while with Pete Hegseth. I don't know if there's anybody in the administration, maybe Kash Patel, that members of Congress, Democrats in particular on some of these committees- They can't wait to get rid of.
00:09:44
Speaker 3: I think those two are at the top of the list.
00:09:46
Speaker 1: Which one would you have to put number one?
00:09:48
Speaker 3: Pete Hegseth.
00:09:48
Speaker 1: I would too, probably.
00:09:49
Speaker 3: Because he's more outspoken.
00:09:50
Speaker 2: As much as Kash Patel doesn't ever want to miss a photo op or a press conference, Pete Hegseth.
00:09:56
Speaker 3: Creates his own news in ways that are baffling.
00:09:58
Speaker 1: You're probably right about that. So with that said, Rose, Pete Hegseth has been a target for a long time. Thomas Massey, who has been a target of President Trump's and who is going to be leaving Congress, a Republican from Kentucky. What was the right way to describe him? A thorn in the president's side? What do you call him? Yeah.
00:10:15
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:10:16
Speaker 3: I think that's a really good way to put it, yes.
00:10:18
Speaker 1: So he has previously introduced articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. That was earlier in the year. It didn't go anywhere. They've been sitting around. He said he's going to reintroduce them next week.
00:10:27
Speaker 2: Yep.
00:10:28
Speaker 1: Robes, next week, we're going to do this again.
00:10:32
Speaker 2: Yes, and his tweet was very specific and offered a suggestion.
00:10:37
Speaker 1: He gives them an out. We don't have to go through this. Yes. Actually, Robes, we don't want to see this, do we? We just had this midterm battle. We still haven't settled some of these questions. races in the country. And next week we got to go into a, a partisan back and forth and fighting over the Iran war and trying to impeach the defense secretary. We don't want that. So he's given us a way out.
00:10:57
Speaker 2: Yes. Thomas Massey put this tweet out for everyone. There is one contingency in which I won't reintroduce the articles of impeachment.
00:11:08
Speaker 3: Hegseth resigns.
00:11:11
Speaker 2: Don't see that one happening unless he's given something. Look, President Trump has obviously let go all of his female cabinet members, and he's done so gently, I would say.
00:11:26
Speaker 1: He loves this guy.
00:11:27
Speaker 2: And he loves Hegseth. And so, look, I imagine there will be a soft landing, but it seems impossible at this point that he stays on.
00:11:38
Speaker 1: Your prediction would be before the impeachment comes up. He would be out of there before there was an impeachment vote.
00:11:46
Speaker 2: When they come back, Congress comes back into session next week, but I don't know at what day it would be.
00:11:53
Speaker 3: I wouldn't be surprised. It's Thursday. If tomorrow we heard something, to be honest.
00:11:58
Speaker 1: Oh, on a Friday. Ah, a Friday. Always good to get some bad news on a Friday. But that is the out he has given Hegseth. Now, the Pentagon and the White House putting out statements about this. The Pentagon... immediately poo-pooed the idea as you could expect and wrote, I guess, some of this language. You just took a sip of water. You good now? I'm good. There is some language in here from the Pentagon response that seems, well, right out of the Pentagon and Hegseth's type of playbook.
00:12:28
Speaker 2: Yes. It's that Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists. He is 100% committed to leading the department until the end. of President Trump's term in office. The Department of War has followed the law, and our secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops, and protect Americans. We will continue to drive President Trump's agenda at the Department of War, despite threats of sham witch hunts from Democrats.
00:13:06
Speaker 1: That statement, yeah, you say what you have to say, but that doesn't really mean anything. We hear statements all the time like this, and then next thing you know, people are gone. Is there a high-profile woman he fired? A man he's fired yet?
00:13:18
Speaker 3: No, it's just Pam Bondi. It's... Kristi Noem. Kristi Noem.
00:13:22
Speaker 1: Tulsi Gabbard left for other reasons. But yeah, we saw the writing on the wall. I'm missing a woman, a high-profile woman.
00:13:28
Speaker 2: But I can't think of a high-profile man he has let go.
00:13:33
Speaker 3: This would be by far the biggest... Oh, yeah. Biggest... Oh my goodness.
00:13:43
Speaker 1: This would be enormous. He has been the guy. This has been the biggest part of the president's, besides tariffs, this has been the Iran war is his presidency, or at least this term. And this has been the guy leading the charge. Faithfully. Loudly.
00:14:00
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
00:14:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm just saying he's been his biggest defender. He's been right by his side. They have been two peas in a pod, so to speak. I only have the former national security advisor, Mike Waltz, fired in May of 2025 after inadvertently adding that journalist to the Signal Group chat where secret war plans were disclosed.
00:14:19
Speaker 3: But wasn't Pete Heggs at the part of that? Mike Waltz? The former national security advisor, his NSA.
00:14:24
Speaker 1: He lived over that?
00:14:25
Speaker 2: But yes, but he was fired. But wasn't Pete Hegseth a part of all of that debacle as well?
00:14:31
Speaker 3: So it's so funny.
00:14:31
Speaker 2: Someone else took the fall for Hegseth on that one.
00:14:36
Speaker 1: I forgot about that. That was an ugly, I say an ugly story, but it was an embarrassing story that Pete Hegseth, you know what his defense was? You remember? There was nothing top secret in it. That was the defense at the time. I'm seeing here, it was Lori Chavez, Secretary of Labor. She had misconduct allegations. She had to step down. But yes, Bondi, Noam, Gabbard, Leavitt, no, Carolyn Leavitt left on her own.
00:15:07
Speaker 2: Yes.
00:15:08
Speaker 1: Katie Zachariah.
00:15:08
Speaker 3: You have to put Katie Zachariah in there, too.
00:15:11
Speaker 1: And then there was one we just forgot.
00:15:12
Speaker 2: What?
00:15:13
Speaker 1: Kimberly Guilfoyle.
00:15:14
Speaker 3: Oh, gosh, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
00:15:15
Speaker 2: Yes, so he has disproportionately fired the women around him, and I guess other than his NSA guy, which we even, he wasn't that big of a deal in terms of just name recognition and what he meant to the administration.
00:15:30
Speaker 3: This would obviously be fairly significant.
00:15:34
Speaker 1: But stay with us, folks. What does the president say about all this? Yes, he was specifically asked about. Hegseth will tell you exactly what he said in his very Short and sweet and direct response. Also coming up, there might be a parachute for Pentagon Pete. He might already have another job lined up. Stay here.
00:16:05
Speaker 2: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. Yes, it feels like the writing is on the wall. The rumors are certainly everywhere that War Secretary, or as we like to call him, the Secretary of Defense, Pete.
00:16:19
Speaker 3: Hegseth, may not have many more days on the job.
00:16:22
Speaker 2: Now, the president was directly asked about this yesterday. We mentioned all the headlines out there, and he didn't have much to say about it, which might be telling.
00:16:32
Speaker 1: Tell people where the president was when he was asked this question.
00:16:35
Speaker 2: He was talking about his ballroom construction because that's all he was focused on yesterday. One of the most significant, just like absolutely devastating midterm elections for Republicans anywhere. He had nothing to say about election results, had nothing to say about what the next two years may look like with a much different looking Congress. No, he wanted to talk about marble floors and the construction of his ballroom. You know.
00:17:05
Speaker 1: That thing's probably going to be nice when it's done.
00:17:07
Speaker 3: It better be.
00:17:08
Speaker 1: I mean, it's going to be gorgeous. I mean, I can only imagine. That thing's going to be stunning when it gets done.
00:17:14
Speaker 2: I guess Trump is hoping that is going to be his lasting legacy, the aesthetics he's leaving behind.
00:17:19
Speaker 1: Is the plan here to try to have that ready before he leaves? He wants to do an event.
00:17:25
Speaker 3: I would imagine that would be very important to him.
00:17:28
Speaker 1: Can you get that thing built that quickly?
00:17:31
Speaker 3: I guess he would say, if anybody can, I can.
00:17:33
Speaker 1: But then we have a state dinner there, and if it's shoddy work, just like the reflecting pool, we're going to have parts of the ceiling falling on world leaders or something. I mean, just... Peeling gold leaf?
00:17:44
Speaker 3: I don't know. We shall see.
00:17:46
Speaker 1: Anyway, it was crazy that that's where he was. Robes, this seemed like a... crazy.
00:17:51
Speaker 3: Well, it's kind of like, don't look at this glaring thing right here. Instead, look over here. Don't look there.
00:17:58
Speaker 1: Look over here. You know what I'm saying? The idea that we're going to forget about the midterms because you're showing me a construction site. There's no way he thought he was going to distract from it.
00:18:08
Speaker 3: He's just moved on.
00:18:09
Speaker 1: He's moved on.
00:18:10
Speaker 2: He's moved on, but he was directly asked about Pentagon Pete about Pete Hegseth and his ability to stay in his position and whether or not he, his job was in jeopardy. The president said this and I quote, no, I think he's doing a very good job.
00:18:26
Speaker 1: That was it.
00:18:27
Speaker 2: Period. Period.
00:18:30
Speaker 3: That was it.
00:18:31
Speaker 2: And look, CBS is reporting, and you mentioned Fox News' headline, which was telling, but CBS is reporting that Trump is absolutely asking around about who he could replace Pete Hegseth with. They have, they didn't name sources, but they claim they have multiple sources from within the White House saying that the president is actively looking to replace Pete Hegseth.
00:18:54
Speaker 1: Whose reporting was, I want to be able to quote them, that's even floated DeSantis' name out of Florida. As a possible replacement.
00:19:02
Speaker 3: That would make a lot of sense. We know he's tough on crime.
00:19:05
Speaker 1: He needs a new gig starting in January.
00:19:07
Speaker 3: He certainly does. Tough on crime.
00:19:09
Speaker 2: Look, we say this just because of his obvious agenda to really try and bring, I guess, closure for a lot of folks. who have waited in some cases decades and decades to see their loved one's killer executed. He is set now today, actually, as we record this, to tie his record-setting execution year. The state of Florida will be at 19 today, and he has two more already scheduled. So, yes, we know he is tough on crime, or at least making sure justice is served.
00:19:43
Speaker 1: Can you imagine him, the guy who will sign any death warrant as the defense secretary?
00:19:49
Speaker 2: I don't know, I guess you could, I guess that makes a little bit more sense maybe even than Pete Hegseth himself. But in terms of what Pete Hegseth's future may be, you mentioned DeSantis will be out of a job and there could be an opening at the Department of War. Well, the Tennessee Senate seat, there is one that is open because yes, the senator is Marsha Blackburn has now just been elected to governor of that state, the first female governor in the state of Tennessee. She would be the one, correct, to appoint whoever would take her seat. And I'm sure she'd be listening if President Trump made a suggestion like, oh, I've got a defense secretary who might need a job. What do you think about putting Pete Hegseth in your Senate seat?
00:20:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, because the last time I recommended one, Ms. Darlene Graham, that went really well for us. Now, he can do this. I guess he has residence set up in Tennessee. That's why he's able to do this. Robes, you know good and hell well. Hell, you know that from, we can go back to Illinois, Blagojevich. Robes, the lobbying that's going on right now for that Senate seat, you're telling me I can just get appointed? without having to go through the process of running for it. And then I will have, will they have till 2028 for this seat?
00:21:14
Speaker 3: I believe for this seat, 2028.
00:21:15
Speaker 1: Got a few years left on this one. You get ahead of the next person who wants to run. Robes, there is lobbying behind the scenes from so many people who want this gig. And yes, there's reporting that this is an open secret that Pete Hexeth wants this. It's an open secret that he's lobbying for this behind the scenes. And it's an open secret that he knows good and hell well. He needs some kind of good look before he gets fired as the defense secretary in the middle of a war. He can say he's doing it to go back and serve Tennessee. He's going back to be a member of the Senate. So yeah, he's lobbying for it, Robes. And the president even said, I haven't heard about that, but maybe this could... Yeah, I think they would love him there. But Robes, the Senate hates this man. He's going to go... hang with 99 other people who don't like him. They have made clear Republicans and Democrats at the Senate. Can you imagine him becoming a senator?
00:22:15
Speaker 3: He's just not that likable of a person.
00:22:18
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know.
00:22:18
Speaker 2: I mean, I guess if you like the manosphere and you like laughing at weak people saying they.
00:22:23
Speaker 3: Have low T, I guess he's your guy. It's tough. The things that come out of his mouth, the arrogance that just... He sweats arrogance. Like every... thing that comes out of him.
00:22:35
Speaker 1: Some call it confidence.
00:22:36
Speaker 3: Some call it, yes, and some of it say that, some people would say that's what you need in a defense secretary, okay?
00:22:42
Speaker 2: But look, when the president was specifically asked about Pete Hegseth potentially being appointed to this Senate seat in Tennessee, his quote was, I actually think he'd be very popular if he did that, but I haven't heard that at all.
00:23:00
Speaker 1: Tennessee, he might be. Rural areas, hunters... Red State, maybe. People, he might, this might work. Kid Rock lives in Nashville. They can hang out together. I mean, really, he might work. That might be a place. I would like to see the polling of his popularity state by state. I'd be curious.
00:23:21
Speaker 3: I'd be curious too. But look, that would be his best case scenario. No question.
00:23:27
Speaker 2: And that would be a hell of a golden parachute for him to leave the cabinet position for a Senate seat that he would then have to run for once again, next election cycle.
00:23:39
Speaker 3: I believe that in the next presidential election, but.
00:23:41
Speaker 1: He would just walk in there right now, have a new gig, but wrote to have him as a member of the Senate and You've seen those hearings. You've seen how these Republicans even come after him. Rove, that is hostile as hell.
00:23:58
Speaker 3: I cannot imagine.
00:24:00
Speaker 1: What's new? I cannot imagine. That's me wanting to be on the Board of Regents at LSU. Come on in, TJ. Yeah, we welcome a Razorback.
00:24:07
Speaker 2: Yeah, like I'd go be a professor at the University of Alabama. I'm sure I'd be welcome as a Georgia Bulldog.
00:24:14
Speaker 1: First day, everybody, welcome to campus.
00:24:18
Speaker 2: Oh, my goodness.
00:24:19
Speaker 1: I can't imagine. So we shall see. But Robes, they do not want an impeachment hearing with this guy.
00:24:24
Speaker 2: No.
00:24:25
Speaker 3: So this would be one way to avoid that. We shall see. We will stay on top of it. We always appreciate you listening to us, everyone. I'm Amy Robach alongside TJ Holmes. We'll talk soon.