Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday vehemently defended himself against impending impeachment proceedings, conflating accusations against his actions with disrespect for the troops and listing off military successes in his first Pentagon press briefing in over six months.
Hegseth focused on the Pentagon’s victories Tuesday, alternating between throwing jabs at former officials and praising President Donald Trump. The conference lasted fewer than 25 minutes, and he answered few questions from the gallery.
Hegseth said the impeachment articles — brought forth Monday by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie — constitute a politically motivated “farce,” directed at service members.
“Politicians in Washington have accused the sailors and pilots who struck narcoterrorist boats of war crimes for doing their job,” he said, later equating his own impeachment possibility with potential repercussions for service members. “This resolution is the next step. Put the secretary on trial today and then men and women who carried out those orders tomorrow.”
Hegseth painted himself as a champion for the troops, saying, “If they want to come for the warriors, they’re going to have to come through me.”
The proceedings came shortly after Republicans’ massive losses in the midterm elections, which Vice President JD Vance blamed on the war in Iran. Hegseth addressed Vance’s comments, saying that the war was “a necessary undertaking.”
Hours after Hegseth’s conference, Vance took to social media in support of the defense secretary, calling the question of whether Hegseth carried out impeachable offenses “absurd,” and saying that “impeachment has become a ridiculous show that stands in for actual policymaking.” Vance said lawmakers were targeting Hegseth because he “took on bureaucracy at the Pentagon,” not the war with Iran.
Massie brought eight articles of impeachment against the defense secretary. The Kentucky congressman accused Hegseth of going to war with Iran without congressional authorization; continuing the war after lawmakers directed the withdrawal of U.S. forces; continuing to fight beyond the War Powers Resolution’s allowed timelines; ignoring laws to minimize civilian harm; directing the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife; retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., over his public statements; ordering deadly strikes against suspected drug traffickers at sea; and starting an illegal war in Yemen.
Hegseth briefly addressed the specific accusations, calling them “partisan policy disagreements from people who want to politicize our military.” He said none of the actions constituted high crimes, but rather “the job well done.”
“As for the articles themselves, Iran, the cartels, Maduro, Yemen — every one was a lawful operation ordered by the Commander in Chief, then ordered by myself, notified to Congress, and executed by American warriors who did their jobs,” Hegseth said.
The defense secretary praised the success of Operation Epic Fury — the U.S.’s campaign against Iran — claiming that Iran’s navy and more than 80% of its nuclear industrial base were destroyed. Hegseth also claimed that Iran started the war 47 years earlier.
Late last week, U.S. Central Command posted a plea on social media and a reward of up to $20 million for information about Iran’s nuclear program.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., will decide if lawmakers vote on each article individually or all eight as a whole. Many Democrats have expressed support for Hegseth’s removal, as have some Republicans, who currently hold a slim majority in the House.
Representatives have two legislative days to vote. A simple majority in favor of impeachment would send the matter to the Senate for a trial, where a two-thirds majority would be required to convict and remove Hegseth.
There is no set timeline for an impeachment. If the House votes to impeach, the Senate’s trial could begin in the next legislative session, when Democrats take control of Congress.
Trump has been vocal about his support for Hegseth. On Monday, he called Massie a “loser” and a “sick guy,” saying, “There’s something wrong with him, actually. Now he’s after Pete Hegseth. He doesn’t like Hegseth, but really, what has Hegseth done?”
Massie lost his primary run for re-election to a Trump-backed contender in May.
Hegseth first announced the press conference while speaking with reporters Monday after delivering smoldering remarks against diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, as well as progressive academia, at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. He told reporters that the people who sought to remove him disagreed “with success,” later shifting the focus to the soldiers who carried out Pentagon policy decisions.
“If you want to take issue with what we did in Epic Fury or Rough Rider or nabbing Nicolás Maduro, you’re taking issue with the troops and what they accomplished, which is historic,” he said.
Before Tuesday, Hegseth’s most recent press conference was conducted May 5, amid the U.S.’s ongoing war with Iran.
The Unite for Veterans Coalition is hosting a gathering on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol to mark Veterans Day on Wednesday. There, veterans, family members and advocates plan to voice their support for Hegseth’s impeachment, organizers said.
Natalie Oliverio contributed to this report.
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