CBS News reported Wednesday, Nov. 4, citing sources familiar with the matter, that after the Republican defeat in the midterm elections, Donald Trump, in face-to-face and telephone conversations with his advisers, asked about the continued presence of Pete Guest as Secretary of War.
According to a CBS News source, Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, has been mentioned as a possible successor to Hoggest. The source said DeSantis could get Senate confirmation before the new Congress begins and take over the War Department after his governorship ends Jan. 5.
According to this report, some White House aides predict that some of the responsibility for the Republican electoral defeat will fall on Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of CENTCOM, and General Dan Cain, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US armed forces, two officials who played an important role in providing military advice on the war with Iran. When asked by reporters about the possibility of replacing Hogst, Trump said: "No, I think he will do a very good job."