The message from the White House is clear: Donald Trump is not backing down.
asserted
Trump → back → House
He is doubling down.
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He → double → ?
In the days after his Republican Party's crushing midterm defeat, the US president has wasted no time reshaping his administration.
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president → crush → administration
Trump's chief of staff Susie Wiles (considered vaguely moderate by MAGA standards) was replaced with hardliner Stephen Miller.
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chief → consider → Miller
Trump then offered the job of White House press secretary to his friend, Dana White, the UFC chief executive.
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Trump → offer → friend
Some analysts argue that a wounded Trump looking to leverage his final two years in office may be tempted to revamp his team with several changes.
uncertain
Trump → argue → changes
And there is mounting speculation Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could be among them.
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Hegseth → be → them
Hegseth, a former soldier and television presenter, was widely considered among Trump's most controversial cabinet nominees when the president returned to the White House for a second term.
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president → consider → term
Despite concerns from both sides of the congressional aisle about Hegseth's ability to run the world's largest military, the Senate confirmed him 51 votes to 50.
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Senate → run → 50
Hegseth, a combative Trump loyalist, has made few friends on Capitol Hill (even among Republicans) since his appointment.
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Hegseth → make → appointment
Experts identify the 46-year-old's largest political vulnerability as his vocal support for US military intervention in Iran.
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Experts → identify → Iran
The war is deeply unpopular with many Americans, a view they made clear at the midterms.
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they → make → midterms
It has weighed the Trump administration down and pushed fuel prices up.
Could Trump, who is refusing to take any responsibility for last week's electoral humiliation, look to make an example of Hegseth?
uncertain
who → weigh → Hegseth
Tom Popinsky, a professor of government at Cornell University, says the president turning on one of his favourite appointments is not out of the question.
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president → say → question
"You need to understand this in terms of President Trump imagining he's running The Apprentice reality television show again, in which he gets the chance to make big news by saying he's firing somebody," Professor Popinsky said.
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Popinsky → need → somebody
"I think the argument for this happening is that he would interpret this as a TV ratings bump.
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he → think → bump
He would get a ratings bump for firing Hegseth."
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He → get → Hegseth
While Professor Popinsky said it was impossible to know whether this would happen, he added: "I do believe it's incredibly appealing from Trump's perspective to just go on TV and say: 'Hegseth, you're fired'.
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you → say → TV
You can imagine this happening, you can imagine the spectacle around it."
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you → imagine → it
Hegseth is said to have a good relationship with the incoming White House chief of staff.
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Hegseth → say → staff
After Miller's appointment on Friday, the defence secretary posted on social media: "Patriots in control."
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secretary → post → control
Hegseth 'incompetent and corrupt'
Trump has publicly supported Hegseth, but the value of that is unclear because he did that with Wiles too.
uncertain
he → support → Wiles
In his final two years, Trump may decide to back people he perceives as uncompromising, like the former Fox News host, even more fervently.
uncertain
he → decide → host
But if he does not move against his defence secretary, it appears Congress will.
From January, the Democrats will control both houses and several politicians have said they plan to impeach Hegseth.
Colorado Democrat Jason Crow posted a video online last week in which he confirmed he was "going after Pete Hegseth".
"Not only is he incompetent and corrupt, but he is undermining the safety of our troops," he said, adding: "I'm going to be relentless, night and day, to get him out of the Pentagon.
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I → move → Pentagon
However, there is also speculation that defeated Republicans with nothing to lose could make an example of Hegseth before they are replaced early next year.
uncertain
they → be → Hegseth
Outgoing Republican congressman Thomas Massie, an outspoken critic of both Trump and Hegseth, has promised to force a vote on impeaching Hegseth as one of his final acts.
asserted
Massie → promise → acts
Massie has already tried to impeach Hegseth, alleging the defence secretary abused his powers in strikes on Iran and Yemen, ordering deadly attacks on small boats in the Caribbean, and a political investigation into anti-Trump Senator Mike Kelly, among other controversies.
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secretary → try → controversies
He has urged Trump to replace Hegseth and nominate a replacement before Republicans lose control of Congress (in the US, the Senate must approve key cabinet appointments).
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Senate → urge → appointments
"I would not be surprised if Hegseth resigned before January, or at least offered his resignation to Trump," Stephen Ansolabehere, a professor of government at Harvard University, told the ABC.
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Ansolabehere → resign → ABC
In a video posted on social media, Hegseth described Massie as a "disgruntled, defeated congressman" who was conspiring with "Democrat allies" to impeach him.
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who → post → him
The defence secretary said this was "political theatre disguised as power".
"In case you hadn't noticed, they're obsessed," Hegseth said.
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Hegseth → say → case
The House has only ever impeached two cabinet officials.
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House → impeach → officials
Neither was convicted by the required two-thirds Senate majority.
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Neither → convict → majority
Professor Popinsky described the situation surrounding Hegseth as "norm-breaking of the highest level".
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Popinsky → describe → level
"I think it is a signal both of the problem and the magnitude of the solution," he said.
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he → think → solution
On top of allegations of corruption and abuse of power, which Hegseth denies, critics have highlighted his judgement and style.
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critics → deny → judgement
He has also been accused of blocking promotions and removing members of the Pentagon's top brass due to personal differences.
asserted
He → accuse → differences
Hegseth made headlines in September when he gave a speech to soldiers and enlisted leaders at a base in Virginia outlining the force he wanted: "No fatties, no trannies, no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals."
asserted
he → make → fatties
Hegseth's October announcement that the US military would live-stream an execution by firing squad next month (something Trump has subsequently cancelled) put him on notice in Washington.
asserted
Trump → stream → Washington
"I believe members of the Senate and Congress let Hegseth know he would be impeached if he did that," Professor Popinsky said.
"
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Popinsky → believe → that
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
