Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday strongly criticized the ongoing impeachment effort against him, describing the initiative as a farce and a political spectacle. He made these remarks at the Department of Defense ahead of a scheduled House vote on the resolution later in the day.
Hegseth argued that the push for his removal was driven by the personal animus of Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who has lost his seat in the upcoming January elections. The Secretary stated that the effort was not about oversight or accountability, but rather a personal manifesto fueled by ego and resentment toward President Donald Trump.
The House is expected to take up the impeachment resolution on Tuesday evening. Massie indicated that the chamber will likely first hold a procedural vote to decide whether to table the measure. Under current House rules, the chamber has only two legislative days to schedule a formal vote after the articles are introduced.
Hegseth suggested that his impeachment is merely the first step in a broader attack that could eventually target service members who participated in strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean. He maintained that none of the accusations constitute high crimes or misdemeanors, but instead represent partisan policy disagreements aimed at politicizing the military.
The Secretary compared his situation to the two previous impeachments of President Trump. He noted that while the House voted to impeach the president twice during his first term, the Senate acquitted him both times. Hegseth said he would welcome the company, adding that the House never moved to impeach his predecessor, Lloyd Austin.
During his briefing, Hegseth highlighted recent Department of Defense actions, including military operations against Iran. He praised President Trump for demonstrating leadership by engaging in conflict with Tehran. The Secretary claimed to have significant support on Capitol Hill, asserting that Republicans do not want to vote for what he described as flimsy articles of impeachment.
President Trump quickly defended his Pentagon chief after the briefing, writing on Truth Social that Hegseth earned an A plus for his defense. The President referred to Massie as a disgruntled and defeated former congressman, calling him a total loser. Trump also told reporters on Monday that he would stand by Hegseth if the impeachment proceeds.
Massie introduced updated articles of impeachment on Monday, accusing Hegseth of abusing his office. The resolution cites the launch of the Iran war without congressional approval, ignoring laws on civilian casualties, and retaliating against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. The renewed push follows sweeping Republican defeats in the midterms, which were often attributed to the Iran war and high energy prices.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated he is a hard yes on the resolution, calling Hegseth the architect of a reckless and costly war of choice. It remains uncertain how many Republicans will join Massie. Speaker Mike Johnson said impeaching a Cabinet secretary during active hostilities would be a terrible look, while other members like Don Bacon of Nebraska are still wrestling with the decision.
The status of the Iran war remains unclear, with President Trump stating he plans to maintain the status quo and does not believe further escalation is necessary. Massie challenged Hegseth to address the eight articles of impeachment from a podium, urging him to explain why he is not guilty of each charge with the help of his legal team.
