Green light from Trump for the Defense Minister whose seat is shaky

President Donald Trump said he intends to keep Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in his post, ending speculation that Hegseth would be blamed for the Republicans' heavy losses in the U.S. midterm elections. The public backing from Trump followed reports that Hegseth's position had become precarious as the party weighed who should answer for the defeat. The statement matters because it removes immediate uncertainty over leadership at the Pentagon and signals Trump will not use the election fallout to reshuffle his national security team. Watch for whether Republican criticism of Hegseth subsides and whether Trump extends the same protection to other officials facing post-election scrutiny.