Republicans Assess Blame After Midterm Losses

Republicans lost the House and Senate on Tuesday. Reports based on unnamed officials describe Trump aides blaming one another.

• Wiles allies reportedly briefed against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Rubio.
• Leaks reported by the New Republic target deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
• CNN reported Wiles often shut down talk of post-election oversight probes.
• Strategist Caroline Summer said on Fox that Wiles must go.

Why it matters: Democratic control of Congress opens the door to oversight investigations of the administration. Who stays in the White House shapes how it responds.

• Vance, not Rubio, led the failed Iran talks, so blaming Rubio may implicate Vance.
• Vance and Rubio are seen as leading contenders for the 2028 GOP nomination.

How 27 sources split on this story

Where they split: Coverage disagrees over whether Wiles kept Trump from preparing for a loss or quietly prepared anyway.

What’s next: Other White House officials told CNN that Wiles had privately asked the counsel's office to prepare for Democratic probes.

• Any firing or reassignment would come from Trump, who has not commented publicly.
• Will Trump replace or reassign Wiles, Hegseth, Rubio or Miller?
• How much of the reported infighting reflects positioning by unnamed sources?
• How will Democrats use new oversight power once they take control?