Pete's Last Days: Trump Considering Firing Hegseth as the Prez and Defense Sec. Duke It Out Over Controversial Iran Deal
Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are said to not be in agreement over the Iran peace deal.
June 16 2026, Published 3:20 p.m. ET
The love-fest between Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth could be nearing the end, RadarOnline.com can reveal, as the president is believed to be considering firing his Secretary of Defense.
According to an insider, Trump is also thinking about handing over a pink slip to CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as it is said he's had it with staffers pushing back against his proposed Iran peace deal.
'Anyone Who Opposed It Could Pay a Personal Price'
According to sources, Trump is considering giving Hegseth the axe.
"The debate has been settled. Anyone who opposed it could pay a personal price," the insider claimed. The proposed U.S./Iran deal, which has not been released to the public in full, is said to detail that Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.
However, rumors are floating that the deal is also said to have American handing over $300billion to Iran for reconstruction, just months after Trump ordered an attack on the country.
While Hegseth and Ratcliffe are apparently not on board with the deal and are duking it out, other Trump staffers, including Vice President JD Vance, the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witoff, and the country's Special Envoy for Peace, Jared Kushner, are supporting the agreement.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to the source, does not appear to be on Trump's firing list.
White House Responds to Firing Claims
Hegseth and Trump are believed to not see eye-to-eye on the proposed Iran peace deal.
In response to the report, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly directed Radar to her thoughts on X, bashing, "I have never heard of this 'reporter,' until he started consistently pushing fake news without reaching out to the White House for comment."
"To be clear, this clown has no idea what he is talking about, and his 'sources' are probably the voices in his head," she raged.
While Hegseth appears to still have a job, his time as the Secretary of Defense has had plenty of bad moments, as it's featured everything from public meltdowns to odd speeches about "fat" military troops, to "embarrassing" behavior during classified briefings.
The former Fox News personality, according to a previous report, is apparently so paranoid he has repeatedly questioned deployed service members about leaks.
Pete Hegseth's Rollercoaster Tenure
CIA Director John Ratcliffe is also believed to be on the chopping block.
The 46-year-old is believed to have kept key military planners out of the loop before the country attacked Iran.
"A year-plus later, there is a lack of clear internal processes within the Pentagon," the source claimed, which is "caused by mass paranoia."
The insider noted, "Everything is a case-by-case basis because there's no delegation, there's no trust. And if there's no delegation or trust, policy decisions can't be made."
Despite claims of Trump axing Hegseth, the duo appeared quite chummy just a few weeks ago.
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Both Trump and Hegseth have praised each other, despite the firing rumors.
During a Cabinet meeting at the White House on May 27, Trump praised Hegseth and his love of all things war.
"We have great people, and the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, Central Casting... he loves war," the 80-year-old said before slapping Hegseth's biceps. In return, Hegseth gave credit to his boss for his efforts to renovate the reflecting pool on the National Mall, and then pointed to his dealings with Iran.
Hegseth said at the time, "@hen you step back and look at 47 years of what Iran waged war against us and our people, there's only one man over the course of both presidency who has stood up and said they will never get a nuclear weapon."
