BREAKING: Trump is now preparing to use Hegseth as a scapegoat, privately asking his allies about the job performance of Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine as he searches for someone to blame for the political damage of the Iran war, per The Atlantic. Trump is furious that his top military advisers promised him a quick victory in Iran, as short as days, that never came. "Hegseth is unpopular in much of the White House," two advisers to Trump said, adding that he "has not been honest about the state of the war, which he consistently paints in rosy terms to keep Trump happy." "Hegseth is good at telling the president what he wants to hear," the adviser adds. Trump has concluded the war is at least partly to blame for his political position and has now focused on those who told him it would be quick and decisive. Hegseth and Caine briefed Trump and Vance last week on strike options designed to create the conditions for Trump to "declare victory." Trump is now questioning whether the same advisers who promised a quick win can actually deliver one, or have instead dragged him into a larger mess.