WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has forcefully rejected an impeachment resolution filed against him in the US House of Representatives, calling it a political stunt and insisting that every military action cited was lawful and ordered by the President. The move has set off turmoil in Congress.
Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced the resolution, which contains eight articles. It mainly cites the war against Iran, allegedly waged without congressional approval; strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean; and military operations in Yemen and Venezuela. Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said the disagreements were over policy and did not amount to treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors as defined in the Constitution. He said the decisions on Iran, Venezuela and drug cartels were taken on the orders of President Donald Trump as Commander-in-Chief.
Hegseth accused Massie, who lost his primary election, of acting out of ego and jealousy during his final days in Congress. He warned that such efforts send the wrong signals to America’s adversaries. “This is not patriotism, it is destructive,” he said. He defended the operations as necessary to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. “I stand by all these operations. If I had to do it again tomorrow, I would not back down,” he said.
Shortly after the briefing, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, awarding Hegseth an “A+++” rating for rebutting Massie’s arguments. Trump said Democrats had twice failed in attempts to remove him and were now targeting a member of his cabinet, adding that this effort would fail too.
Following the recent midterm elections, Republicans hold a 218-214 majority in the House. Democrats, led by Hakeem Jeffries, who is set to become the next Speaker, are supporting the impeachment effort, making the vote difficult to call. Even if the House passes the resolution, removal from office would require a two-thirds majority in a Senate trial. No US Defense Secretary has been removed from office over military actions in the country’s 250-year history.
Hegseth holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Princeton University and a master’s in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He served as an infantry officer in the Army National Guard, with postings at Guantanamo Bay, in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and earned two Bronze Stars. After leaving the military, he led the advocacy group Concerned Veterans for America and wrote the bestselling book *The War on Warriors*.