Half of Republican staffers say Pete Hegseth is hurting Trump’s foreign agenda, and the Pentagon’s response only made things worse

A new poll shows that more than half of Republican congressional aides believe Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has hurt President Donald Trump’s foreign policy goals. This comes at a difficult time, as Hegseth is currently overseeing the war in Iran.

According to The Independent, the survey was conducted between February 10 and March 2, capturing the early days of U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran, which began on February 28. It found that 52 percent of GOP staffers felt Hegseth had negatively affected Trump’s agenda, while 72 percent of senior Capitol Hill aides shared the same view.

Only 9 percent of staffers thought he had helped the president’s foreign policy. Meanwhile, 92 percent of Democratic aides agreed that Hegseth had harmed the president’s agenda. The outlet that ran the survey noted that public opinion of Hegseth could change depending on the outcome of Operation Epic Fury in Iran.

Hegseth’s record of controversies makes the poll results harder to ignore

One of the biggest issues during Hegseth’s 13 months at the Department of Defense was the Signal group chat security breach, known as “Signalgate.” An Inspector General’s report found that Hegseth put U.S. troops at risk by sharing sensitive military operation details on a private messaging app. The chat included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and, by mistake, Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg.

The messages contained classified, real-time details about airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, with one message stating, “This is when the first bombs will drop.” The breach sparked calls for his resignation. Despite this, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell called the Inspector General’s report a “total exoneration” for Hegseth.

Later, Hegseth faced criticism over deadly missile strikes against alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean. After one vessel was reportedly struck twice, some critics called for his firing and even labeled him a “war criminal.” Hegseth denied the claims, calling them “fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory.”

Now leading Trump’s war in Iran, Hegseth has vowed to go as far as needed to topple Iran’s leadership and said “we have only just begun,” adding that President Trump will have a “heck of a say” in Iran’s next leader. President Trump has continued to stand by his Defense Secretary throughout these controversies.

Pentagon Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson pushed back on the poll, saying, “The only feedback we’re interested in is from the president, our warfighters, and the American people, not a poll from a left-wing congressional site within the bubble of Washington, D.C.” Wilson also noted that Trump has “repeatedly praised Secretary Hegseth’s leadership and impact on the military.” 

Hegseth has also spoken openly about Americans returning home in caskets as he discussed the ongoing chaos in the Middle East. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly added that Hegseth was doing “an incredible job” and that he works “in lockstep with President Trump every day.” President Trump has publicly confirmed that Hegseth will remain in his role.