'No': Trump Refuses To Credit Hegseth for Venezuela as He Hints at More Cabinet Firings After Midterm Rout

Donald Trump refused to credit Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth for the lightning-fast Venezuela operation, bluntly answering 'No' when asked if Hegseth deserved praise, even as he insisted he still had confidence in him.

In an interview for CBS's '60 Minutes', Trump also signalled that Cabinet changes were likely after Republicans lost both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections. Within hours of the interview being recorded, he named a new White House chief of staff.

Hegseth, meanwhile, could face an impeachment vote as soon as next week.

'No, but He Was Part of It'

CBS News correspondent Ross Douthat said he had seen Hegseth meeting Trump just before the interview and noted that Hegseth's name had come up in calls for resignations, Mediaite reported. Asked whether he still had confidence in him, Trump replied: 'I do.'

'Look, we've won two wars. We've won Venezuela, and taken out billions and billions and billions of dollars already,' Trump said. 'We won that war in less than one hour, and nobody was killed.'

Douthat then asked: 'And you credit Pete Hegseth for that?'

'No, but he was part of it,' Trump said.

CNN aired the clip on Friday ahead of the full interview, which is due to air on Sunday. CNN's Jake Tapper said the exchange did not show Trump praising Hegseth. 'First of all, we haven't won two wars,' Tapper said. 'The seizure of Maduro was a successful military operation. But it wasn't a war.'

'Maybe a Few Changes'

Douthat asked Trump whether he expected to dismiss any officials after the midterm election results.

'Yeah... You do a little bit. A little bit,' Trump said. 'I love my cabinet. I think they're good. But I'll be doing maybe a few changes. I don't want to mention who.'

Hours after the interview was recorded, Trump announced that Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller would replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff from Monday 9 November, NBC News reported.

CNN reported, citing Xinhua, that Trump was angry about the strategy behind the losses and blamed Wiles, among others. Wiles had served as chief of staff since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Miller has been described as the architect of the administration's immigration and deportation policies.

Hegseth Under Pressure

Hegseth is facing criticism from both parties. CNN reported on Wednesday that many Republican lawmakers were blaming him for the election losses, and that the House could vote as soon as next week on impeachment, Xinhua reported.

Republican Representative Thomas Massie has said he intends to force a House vote on his eight‑article September impeachment resolution when lawmakers return, accusing Hegseth of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution.

Democrats, who secured both chambers in Tuesday's midterms, have also taken steps against him. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has vowed to 'run Pete Hegseth out of town', Fox News reported, and Representative Yassamin Ansari filed six articles of impeachment against him in April, accusing him of unauthorised military action against Iran.

Trump has said he is maintaining his support for his defence secretary, while declining to give him credit for the Venezuela operation.