They could 'splain to RePOTUS Trump that they need to at least appear to oppose him or be willing to stand up to him and letting SecDef Hegseth go would be an easy win and make them at least look independent. That might be important when he's charged/impeached at a future date...expect it. It would also help their candidates running for office and keep the Dems from winning control of the House and Senate in the upcoming midterm elections.
SecDef Hegseth is an obvious screw up. Let him go, and these same Republicans will instantly confirm his next choice. Repeat the process every time RePOTUS Trump screws up. Not much will get done (but that's part of the GOP "plan" for governance, so not a loss to them), but the next one might be a bit smoother and these Trump-loyal Republicans can possibly be re-elected and keep control of both the House and the Senate.
