Kaitlan Collins Exposes Secret Panic Inside the White House Over Pete Hegseth

White House insiders have the future in mind, according to the CNN star.

CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins has exposed the panic inside the White House as key Republicans face an uncertain future after the disastrous midterms.

President Donald Trump and his administration received a stunning rebuke in last week’s elections, losing control of the House and the Senate, which could undermine the rest of his final term.

Even Trump’s own party is divided, with outgoing Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie introducing articles to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday.

Anderson Cooper talks to Kaitlan Cooper on CNN.

Anderson Cooper talks to Kaitlan Collins on CNN.

Massie, 55, who has regularly clashed with Trump, 80, claimed Hegseth had violated constitutional war powers and engaged in unauthorized military hostilities in Iran.

In the White House on Monday, Collins directly asked Trump whether he would stand by Hegseth if he were impeached. “Yeah, I’ll stand by him,” Trump said, before telling Collins, “Massie’s a loser. Just like you’re a loser at CNN. Just like your ratings are a loser.”

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Speaking to Anderson Cooper on Monday’s 360°, Collins said she asked Trump the question because she wanted to know the answer.

ARLINGTON, VA, UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 21: U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth welcomes Guyanese President Mohamed Irfaan Ali during an enhanced honor cordon at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on October 21, 2026. (Photo by Mehmet Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Pete Hegseth is facing impeachment fears.

Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images

“That is a very real prospect that the White House and the defense secretary are both staring down right now,” Collins said.

She added that her Washington sources had further fears about GOP life after the midterms.

“Inside the White House, people have been talking about what to do here, and what the next step of this is going to look like because their fear is, given how many Republicans lost their elections last week, that a lot of them aren’t showing up here in Washington, back for this session of Congress the last few weeks that they have,” Collins said.

U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) speaks to the press as he exits a vote on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 25, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon

Thomas Massie is going out fighting from the GOP.

She said there were also concerns inside the White House about the GOP turning on Hegseth, saying that some Republicans “understand how angry voters are about the Iran War so they might actually 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 sources inside the West Wing believe that Hegseth’s standing is now “a little bit firmer” inside the White House, after his “close” ally Stephen Miller was elevated to Chief of Staff, replacing Susie Wiles.

Stephen miller

Miller sported a baseball cap, sunglasses, and no tie as he addressed members of the military.

Kent Nishimura/AFP via Getty Images

Wiles, according to Collins, “Was someone who had not been as confident in Pete Hegseth’s leadership at the Pentagon. And I was actually told that their relationship had gotten pretty shaky in the last couple of weeks and months.”

Collins added that there are questions over whether Republicans stand by Hegseth, or “find an exit route” for him, due to the party “facing so much anger over the war.”

The CNN reporter noted that Hegseth is due to hold a press conference at the Pentagon on Tuesday, and said she was texted by a White House source last week after the former Fox News host released a nearly six-minute video defending himself, and sucking up to Trump.

She said her source believed the video, where Hegseth calls out the “sham” articles of impeachment from a “disgruntled, defeated Congressman,” was a sign “that he is actually concerned about this, that he felt that he had to put that video out.”

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.

Later, on her show, The Source, Collins 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.

“This is what the president said when I asked him about those efforts to impeach Hegseth,” she said.

Kaitlan Collins aired her clash with Donald Trump on CNN.

A guest on The Source on Monday, Massie was asked about Trump saying he will stand by Hegseth.

“They stand by them until the day they don’t,” Massie said, before predicting there was a “high probability” Hegseth will not be in his job at the end of the year.

When Collins asked Massie if he believed Hegseth will resign before he can be impeached, the Republican said, “First of all, impeachment is actually a kind of polite thing. I’m not proposing he go to prison… we’re just saying you need to be out of a job right now.”

He added, “When the Democrats get control in January, they are not going to be as polite as I am.”

Collins asked Massie if he was saying Hegseth should “cut bait” before the Democrats take over. The Congressman replied, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

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