White House insiders have the future on their minds, according to the CNN star.
CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins has revealed the panic in the White House as top Republicans face an uncertain future following the disastrous midterm elections.
President Donald Trump and his administration received a harsh rebuke in last week’s election, losing control of the House and Senate in a move that could jeopardize the remainder of his final term.
Even Trump’s party is divided, with Kentucky Republican incumbent Thomas Massie introducing articles Monday seeking to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Anderson Cooper speaks to Kaitlan Collins on CNN.
Massie, 55, who has regularly clashed with Trump, 80, claimed that Hegseth violated constitutional war powers and engaged in unauthorized military hostilities in Iran.
At the White House on Monday, Collins directly asked Trump whether he would support Hegseth if he were impeached. “Yes, I will support it,” Trump said before telling Collins: “Massie is a loser. Just like you are a loser at CNN. Just like your ratings are a loser.”
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Speaking to Anderson Cooper on Monday 360°, Collins said she asked Trump the question because she wanted to know the answer.
Pete Hegseth fears impeachment.
Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images
“This is a very real prospect that the White House and the Secretary of Defense are considering right now,” Collins said.
She added that her sources in Washington had even more fears about life for the GOP after the midterm elections.
“At the White House, people are talking about what to do here and what the next step will look like because their fear is, given the number of Republicans who lost their elections last week, that a lot of them won’t show up here in Washington, back for this session of Congress, in the last few weeks,” Collins said.
Thomas Massie is fighting from the GOP.
She added that there were also concerns in the White House about the Republican Party coming back against Hegseth, saying that some Republicans “understand how angry voters are about the war in Iran, so they might be willing to vote for this (impeachment). And Thomas Massie…might actually be able to get enough votes here.”
However, the CNN host added that her West Wing sources believe Hegseth’s position is now “a little firmer” in the White House, after her “close” ally Stephen Miller was elevated to chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles.
Miller wore a baseball cap, sunglasses and no tie when speaking to the military.
Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images
Wiles, according to Collins, “was someone who didn’t have as much confidence in Pete Hegseth’s leadership at the Pentagon. And I was actually told that their relationship had become quite fragile over the last couple of weeks and months.”
Collins added that it is questionable whether Republicans will stand with Hegseth or “find a way out” for him, due to the party “facing so much anger over the war.”
The CNN reporter noted that Hegseth was scheduled to hold a news conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday and said she received a text from a White House source last week after the former Fox News host released a nearly six-minute video defending herself and mocking Trump.
She said her source believed the video, in which Hegseth denounces the “sham” articles of impeachment of a “disgruntled and defeated congressman,” was a sign “that he is actually concerned about this, that he felt he had to release this video.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.
Later, on his show, The sourceCollins aired a split-screen view of Trump calling her a “loser” and questioning CNN’s ratings, but did not make a direct reference to the clash.
“That’s what the president said when I asked him about the effort to impeach Hegseth,” she said.
Kaitlan Collins broadcast her clash with Donald Trump on CNN.
A guest on The source On Monday, Massie was asked about Trump saying he would stand with Hegseth.
“They’ll support them until the day they don’t,” Massie said, before predicting that there was a “high probability” that Hegseth would not be in his position at the end of the year.
When Collins asked Massie if he thought Hegseth would resign before he could be impeached, the Republican responded: “First of all, impeachment is actually kind of a polite thing. I’m not suggesting he go to jail…we’re just saying you need to lose your job now.”
He added: “When the Democrats take control in January, they won’t be as polite as I am. »
Collins asked Massie if he was saying Hegseth should “cut bait” before Democrats take over. The congressman responded, “That’s exactly what I’m saying. »
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