‘This is Sabotage’: Pete Hegseth Hits Back at Republican Bid to Impeach Him

Pete Hegseth walked into his first Pentagon press conference in six months on Tuesday with eight articles of impeachment hanging over him. A Republican congressman had accused the US defence secretary of waging war against Iran without congressional authorisation and directing extrajudicial killings. Hegseth turned the accusation back on his critics. “This is not patriotism. This is sabotage,” he said.

Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie introduced the articles on Monday, November 9. They challenge the legal basis for the Iran war and raise allegations about US operations in Yemen and Venezuela, as well as strikes on suspected drug boats in the Western Hemisphere. Trump has pledged to stand by Hegseth even if the House impeaches him.

Hegseth Defends the Strikes and Their Crews

“We will not apologise for putting American lives first,” Hegseth said. He defended the boat strikes as an effort to stop drugs from reaching the United States and the Iran campaign as a means of weakening Tehran’s military capabilities. He warned that US forces remained “locked and loaded with the full weight and lethality of Central Command” if Iran escalated the conflict.

Hegseth accused lawmakers of suggesting that sailors and pilots involved in the boat strikes had committed war crimes. He argued that putting him on trial could set the stage for action against the people who carried out the orders. “If they want to come for the warriors, they’re going to have to come through me,” he said. Massie’s resolution seeks to impeach Hegseth.

The defence secretary called the effort a “farce” and accused Massie of using his final days in Congress to damage the administration. He cited US operations in Lebanon under Ronald Reagan, Kosovo under Bill Clinton, and Iraq and Syria under Barack Obama and Joe Biden. No defence chief had been impeached for carrying out what he called “lawful military operations”, he said.

Massie’s Case Turns on Who Authorised the War

The legality of the operations is at the heart of Massie’s case. The resolution argues that the administration went to war with Iran without a declaration of war or specific authorisation from Congress. It also accuses Hegseth of directing the Pentagon to carry out extrajudicial killings, according to CNN.

The articles allege that Hegseth disregarded laws protecting civilians and that his approach to the military’s rules of engagement contributed to civilian deaths. CNN reported that the resolution cites a deadly US strike on an elementary school in Iran. Hegseth defended the operations at the briefing as both lawful and successful.

Trump Gives Hegseth an ‘A PLUS’. Jeffries Wants Him Out

Trump gave Hegseth an “A PLUS” for his performance, the BBC reported. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Hegseth had “done a great job” and called the impeachment proceedings unfair. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said impeachment would send a damaging signal to US allies and adversaries. “We don’t impeach cabinet secretaries for political gain or cheap tricks,” Johnson told reporters.

Jeffries told ABC’s This Week he was a “hard yes” on the resolution. He accused Hegseth of abusing his power, undermining national security and engineering a costly war of choice. Democratic Senator Chris Coons also called for Hegseth’s removal, saying: “If the president doesn’t remove him, Congress will.”

Republicans Can Block the Bid Before a Vote on the Articles

Republicans retain control of Congress until January, making the effort unlikely to succeed, the BBC reported. Under House rules, Republican leaders have two legislative days to schedule action on the resolution. They can move to table it, which would set it aside without a vote on the articles themselves.

If the House approves an article by a simple majority, the case goes to the Senate for trial. Conviction and removal require a two-thirds vote of senators present.

Hegseth would be only the third US Cabinet secretary to be impeached. The House impeached Secretary of War William Belknap in 1876 over allegations of corruption and kickbacks, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024 over his handling of the US–Mexico border. The Senate dismissed the articles against Mayorkas. No Cabinet official has been convicted and removed through a Senate impeachment trial.

With inputs from ANI & agencies