Midterms spark calls for White House shakeups

The White House faced calls for policy and personnel shakeups after brutal midterm elections, with the defense secretary under most pressure. Senior Republican lawmakers and strategists have reportedly pressed the Trump administration to fire the Pentagon chief and swiftly end the Iran war , blamed for fuel-price inflation that topped voters' concerns. Their calls add to mounting criticism of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

An outgoing Republican lawmaker will next week seek to begin impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives, though it's unclear if such efforts will gain momentum in the Senate. US President Donald Trump's calculus on Hegseth is tricky: Firing him after the new Congress sits in January will require confirmation from a Democrat-controlled Senate.