War Secretary Pete Hegseth came out swinging Tuesday against the impeachment effort led by outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., calling it a political spectacle aimed at damaging President Trump.
“It’s a farce and it’s a stunt and everybody knows it,” Hegseth said during a press conference at the Pentagon.
Massie filed eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Monday, accusing him of high crimes and misdemeanors over the Iran war and other military operations. Hegseth dismissed Massie as a disgruntled congressman and branded the charges “slander” and “sabotage.”
Hegseth compared the effort to the two impeachments Trump faced during his first term, both of which ended in acquittal. He noted that in both cases Trump came back stronger and voters returned him to the White House.
“This is not patriotism,” Hegseth said.
The War Secretary defended the military’s record, saying operations were legal and that Trump made the right call on Iran. He described the campaigns in Iran and Venezuela as a tremendous victory, claimed Iran had lost more than 80% of its nuclear industrial base, and said maritime drug smuggling had dropped 55%. He also pointed out that Republicans never impeached former Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin under President Biden.
Trump backed Hegseth in a Truth Social post Monday night, touting record military recruitment and what he called two victories in Venezuela and Iran, and said his War Secretary should be praised, not impeached. After the press conference Tuesday, Trump gave Hegseth an “A” plus, plus, plus and called Massie a “TOTAL LOSER.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., called the impeachment push shameful. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., said the effort is popular with Democrats but will die in the Senate.
Because Massie filed the measure as privileged under House rules, GOP leaders must bring it to a floor vote within two legislative days. The House could vote as early as Tuesday evening. If the articles pass, the Senate would decide whether to convict and remove Hegseth, which requires a two-thirds majority.
Massie first introduced impeachment articles in September, but Johnson sent the House home early ahead of the midterms to avoid a vote. With Democrats expected to back the resolution, only a handful of Republican defections could send it to the Senate.
Massie, who lost his primary earlier this year to a Trump-backed challenger, accuses Hegseth of waging hostilities in Iran for more than 90 days without congressional authorization. The articles also target strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific and accuse Hegseth of trying to punish Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly over a video urging troops to refuse illegal orders.
Asked Monday whether he had enough Republican support to survive, Hegseth said, “We’re not worried about that.”
[READ MORE: Trump Says He’ll Stand by Hegseth After Massie Files Impeachment Articles]
