Trump maintains the support of Gessett despite the growing criticism of him -. CNN Donald Trump still personally sympathizes with Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and believes he must fight back against attacks by Democrats. White House officials told CNN this. At the same time, Trump was privately interested in Hesse's assessments of his work. Some senior presidential advisers and cabinet members have become increasingly critical of the Pentagon chief as the war with Iran drags on. Hesseth himself remains defiant and has discussed possible political ambitions, including a run for office in Tennessee. At the same time, some Trump administration officials see Hegseth as a potential scapegoat for Republicans' massive losses in Tuesday's midterm elections, CNN reports. Haymin.az Contact us.