The possible dismissal of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would pose no major challenge for President Donald Trump’s administration, according to American politics expert Konstantin Blokhin. He believes the White House would have little difficulty finding a replacement, given the number of potential candidates for the Pentagon’s top position.

Blokhin suggested that Hegseth’s successor could come either from within the Defense Department or from Trump’s inner circle.

However, the political analyst argued that a change in leadership would be unlikely to bring significant changes to the Pentagon’s operations. He attributed this to the structure of the US government and the institutional nature of the Defense Department.

According to Blokhin, the Pentagon secretary primarily serves an administrative function within an established system. Regardless of who takes the position, he believes the department’s fundamental approach would remain largely unchanged.

The expert described the Pentagon as a deeply entrenched bureaucratic institution whose operations do not depend entirely on the individual leading it. As a result, appointing a new defense secretary would be unlikely to fundamentally alter its existing procedures or decision-making mechanisms.

Speculation about Hegseth’s future comes amid growing political criticism of his tenure. Following the November congressional elections, Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives seeking to impeach the defense secretary.

The resolution accused Hegseth of misconduct in office and abuse of authority. Criticism of the Pentagon chief has also been linked to setbacks in the US military campaign against Iran and the Republican Party’s defeat in the congressional midterm elections.

On November 11, the House of Representatives voted by a majority to block the impeachment effort against Hegseth.

According to the reported political timetable, another attempt to remove him could be launched in January 2027, when the Democratic Party is set to formally take control of the House of Representatives.