White House rejects smear campaign over Hegseth and Rubio, as Trump stands firm
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The Trump administration pushed back hard on reports claiming Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are preparing to resign, calling the chatter fake news, while Republican Representative Thomas Massie says he will file an impeachment resolution against Hegseth.
The White House said reports that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio might leave their posts after recent Republican election losses are inaccurate. The administration and the State Department described the claims as "fake news," underscoring that the left-wing media noise around the president's team does not match reality.
Hegseth posted a video defending his record and rejecting calls for his removal. > "You see, they attack me. They attack us because we are effective. It's not going to work. We will not back down," he said.
Rubio told The New York Times that he intends to remain in his role until the end of President Trump's term. > "I love the work I'm doing. And plus I always laugh when they say he's going to leave his job. I go, 'Which one?'"
President Trump told ABC News that he has received calls about Hegseth but intends to keep him in office. He later praised Hegseth, citing achievements such as the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the ongoing Iran conflict.
Republican Representative Thomas Massie announced plans to introduce a resolution to impeach Hegseth as early as next week and urged the president to replace the defence secretary before a Democratic-controlled Congress convenes in January.
The Washington Post reported that the president may be considering changes to other senior military leaders, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the head of U.S. Central Command.