Trump has repeatedly praised Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in recent public statements, describing his performance as “very good” and “fantastic” while stating he has “every intention” to retain him despite Republican midterm losses tied to the Iran conflict. These endorsements, issued days after the November 2026 elections, have reinforced perceptions of stable alignment between the president and his Pentagon chief. Hegseth has also defended administration policies and received Pentagon backing for continued service through the term. With no reported public criticisms from Trump in the immediate period and confirmation processes favoring continuity before the new Congress convenes, traders assign high probability to the absence of any presidential insult through year-end.