Hegseth defends record as House prepares impeachment vote

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces a potential impeachment vote in the U.S. House on Tuesday. The resolution, filed by outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, targets Hegseth’s handling of the war in Iran and other military actions. A decision to move forward with the process is expected later this week.

Hegseth held his first news conference at the Pentagon in six months on Tuesday. He described the impeachment effort as a political spectacle that undermines American troops in real time. He stated that the resolution targets policy disagreements rather than the high crimes required by the Constitution for removal.

The secretary argued that the resolution sends a message to adversaries like Iran and cartels that the United States punishes its own leadership for executing lawful operations. He called the effort sabotage and said it is not an act of patriotism.

Massie filed the resolution on Monday after losing his primary in Kentucky to a Trump-backed opponent. The text focuses on the Iran conflict but also cites military actions in Yemen against Houthi rebels and in Venezuela. Massie said Hegseth’s actions warrant impeachment and amount to high crimes and misdemeanors.

Hegseth countered that the concerns raised are not impeachable offenses. He listed the specific charges in the resolution and said they do not fit the founders’ intent for the impeachment clause. The Constitution does not define high crimes and misdemeanors, leaving the decision to lawmakers.

House Speaker Mike Johnson called the effort a political gambit for attention. He predicted that Republicans would defeat the resolution. Many Republicans blamed their losses in last week’s midterm elections on the Iran conflict and its economic impact.

President Donald Trump posted on social media Tuesday to support Hegseth. He gave Hegseth an A plus plus plus for his defense against Massie. Trump pointed to the January raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and operations against Iran that he said obliterated the Iranian navy and air force.

Iran has continued to strike U.S. military bases in the Middle East and disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the eight-month-old conflict. Trump told reporters on Monday that the war is militarily over and that Tehran wants to make a deal. Hegseth released a video last week arguing that impeachment is about personal destruction, while Pentagon appointees posted images urging support for him.