WASHINGTON -- President 
Donald Trump is searching for a “fall guy” to blame for the failed U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, privately questioning allies about the performance of war secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine, according to The Atlantic.
The report states that Hegseth has systematically misrepresented the war’s disastrous progress in “rosy terms” to keep the commander-in-chief satisfied, and that he “has not been honest” about the war launched in late February. 
“Hegseth is good at telling the president what he wants to hear,” one adviser told the outlet.
Citing outside advisers close to Trump, the report states that Hegseth is widely disliked inside the White House and has not been fully transparent about a terrorist campaign that has failed to achieve its stated objectives nearly nine months after its launch. 
Trump has been “questioning allies about the job performance” of both Hegseth and Caine—the same behavior he typically displays before making personnel changes.
The report exposes a White House in disarray. Hegseth recently sacked the Pentagon’s director of planning, Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, after the official reportedly failed lie detector tests related to the disclosure of information to the press. 
At least three polygraph tests were ordered earlier this year after news broke about a shortage of munitions plaguing Washington’s forces, according to the sources. 
“Hegseth has decided that the Joint Staff, which reports to Caine, has a problem with leaks, a contention that Caine has not forcefully pushed back on,” officials are quoted as saying.
The Atlantic goes on to state that Trump’s “anger has risen” over the illegal war and its damage to the Republican Party’s chances in the upcoming midterm elections. 
“Trump has raged in recent weeks that his messaging is not breaking through, and he now believes that the Iran war is at least in part to blame for his political predicament. Not one to take responsibility himself, Trump is searching for a scapegoat, and has focused on those who had told him that a war with Iran would be quick and decisive,” the sources say.
Among the potential scapegoats are Hegseth and Caine, both of whom were among the most publicly optimistic voices at the outset of the war but have avoided press conferences since May. 
Advisers had assured Trump the war would end well before the midterm elections; instead, he is now searching for a scapegoat as the aggression continues and Republican political prospects dim. 
White House staff have reportedly feared that a poor showing for Republicans could trigger a presidential “rampage,” with Hegseth 
among those potentially scapegoated. 
Democrats are already discussing impeachment proceedings against the war secretary should they gain control of Congress. Hegseth has reportedly explored political exit options, including interest in a Senate seat in Tennessee.
Sunday’s report was published ahead of the midterm elections and coincides with heavy anticipation of a renewal of the war on Iran. Israel, which reportedly also played a key role in pushing Trump into the war, is on high alert and is expected to take part in any new aggression against Iran. 
Several reports in recent weeks have said that a new terrorist against Iran is set to launch after the midterms.
The stakes could not be higher. U.S. journalist Tucker Carlson claimed on November 2 that Trump was “days away” from ordering a nuclear strike on Iran’s Kuh-e Kolang. “Bibi (Netanyahu) calls Trump about it every day,” Carlson added, quoting an unnamed observer with knowledge of the matter.
Iran has vowed an “unrestricted” response to any new escalation. Iranian security forces spokesmen have repeatedly described the U.S. position in West Asia as collapsed, citing the destruction or damage to multiple American bases and the inability of Washington to protect its forces or achieve its political goals. 
Tehran has maintained that any renewed aggression will be met with decisive retaliation, with no geographical limits, and that the Islamic Republic will not return to the pre-war status quo regarding regional security arrangements.
The Atlantic’s report underscores what Iranian officials have said from the beginning: the U.S.-Israeli aggression was launched on flawed assumptions, exaggerated assessments of Iranian weakness, and a desire by certain officials to tell their president what he wanted to hear rather than the operational reality. 
At least 23 U.S. service members have been killed and thousands wounded, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have destroyed multiple American and allied facilities. The war around the Strait of Hormuz has driven up energy prices for American consumers already facing a cost-of-living crisis.