{
  "id": 18444959,
  "title": "White House denies Hegseth and Rubio to leave jobs after Republican election losses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/white-house-denies-hegseth-and-rubio-to-leave-jobs-after-republican-18444959",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T05:05:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "KahawaTungu",
    "slug": "kahawatungu",
    "url": "https://kahawatungu.com/white-house-denies-hegseth-and-rubio-to-leave-jobs-after-republican-election-losses/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The White House has firmly denied reports suggesting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio may depart from their positions following the Republican party's recent electoral setbacks. Media outlets claim there are calls to replace Hegseth, primarily due to his management of the ongoing Iran war, which is being blamed as a factor in the GOP's heavy electoral losses. One departing Republican has even threatened to initiate an impeachment vote against Hegseth as early as the following week. Hegseth responded with a video statement, defending his performance and dismissing the impeachment attempt as ineffective. He stated, \"You see, they attack me. They attack us because we are effective. It's not going to work. We will not back down.\" On the other hand, Rubio has dismissed rumors of his departure, stating that his commitment to the Trump administration until the conclusion of his term is unwavering. He told The New York Times, \"I love the work I'm doing,\" and jokingly asked, \"Which one?\". Both the White House and the US State Department have categorically ruled out Rubio's potential departure, labeling it as \"fake news\". Hegseth, however, confronts a politically uncertain future. Both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance have attributed the Republican losses to the Iran war, leading to Democrats gaining control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In a telephone interview with ABC News, Trump confirmed receiving \"calls about\" Hegseth but affirmed his intention to retain him. Trump praised Hegseth's achievements, including the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and the ongoing Iran war, which has been in progress for eight months. The Washington Post reported that Trump might be contemplating the removal of General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or Centcom chief Admiral Brad Cooper, both of whom have played critical roles in advising on the Iran war. Meanwhile, Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a known critic of Trump, has vowed to continue his efforts to impeach Hegseth early next week. Massie warned in a post on X that the president should consider replacing Hegseth before a new Democratic Congress takes office in January, stating that it would allow for the confirmation of replacements in the Senate. Hegseth also addressed the impeachment allegations in his video, calling them a \"sham\" from \"a disgruntled, defeated congressman and all his Democrat allies.\" He highlighted the department's adherence to Trump's America First agenda, including improving military recruitment, strengthening the defense industrial base, and eliminating diversity initiatives. Massie's accusations led to the White House and the US State Department dismissing the reports of Hegseth's potential departure, labeling them as \"fake news\".",
  "summary": "The White House has denied rumours that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio might leave their jobs in a post-election shakeup of the Trump administration. US media have reported there are calls to replace Hegseth – in particular over his handling of the Iran war, which is being blamed for heavy [...] The post White House denies Hegseth and Rubio to leave jobs after…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Arutz Sheva - Israel National News",
        "title": "Rubio denies plans to leave Trump administration",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/rubio-denies-plans-to-leave-trump-administration",
        "published": "2026-11-05T23:08:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Rubio denies plans to leave post for White House bid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/rubio-denies-plans-to-leave-post-for-white-house-bid-18412872",
        "published": "2026-11-06T00:04:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Rubio denies plans to leave post for White House bid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/rubio-denies-plans-to-leave-post-for-white-house-bid",
        "published": "2026-11-06T00:21:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Rubio denies plans to leave post for White House bid Rubio insists he will serve Trump until end of term amid speculation over political future",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/rubio-denies-plans-to-leave-post-for-white-house-bid-rubio-insists-he",
        "published": "2026-11-06T00:40:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV",
        "title": "Marco Rubio Denies Plans To Leave Post For 2028 Presidential Race: Report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/marco-rubio-denies-plans-to-leave-post-for-2028-presidential-race",
        "published": "2026-11-06T00:46:29.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC News",
        "title": "White House denies Hegseth and Rubio to leave jobs after Republican election losses",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/white-house-denies-hegseth-and-rubio-to-leave-jobs-after-republican",
        "published": "2026-11-06T01:32:55.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Rubio denies plans to leave post for White House bid",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/rubio-denies-plans-to-leave-post-for-white-house-bid-18419700",
        "published": "2026-11-06T02:03:08.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}