Trump Defends Pete Hegseth as Thomas Massie Moves to Impeach Him Over Iran War

President Donald Trump defended US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday and attacked the Republican congressman seeking to impeach him over the Iran war. Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie brought articles of impeachment to the House floor, alleging that Hegseth had abused his office by carrying out unlawful orders to launch the conflict.

The House must take up a procedural vote on the measure by Wednesday, November 11, according to CNN. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has endorsed the resolution and said his party would review it when lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Hegseth plans to address the impeachment push at the Pentagon that morning, Fox News reported.

Massie Says Hegseth Is a ‘Threat to the Constitution’

Massie, an outgoing Republican lawmaker and persistent Trump critic, alleged that Hegseth had “knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders to initiate war against a foreign nation”, CNN reported. He argued on the House floor that the secretary’s conduct was incompatible with his duties and the rule of law, and that Hegseth would remain a “threat to the Constitution” if allowed to stay in office.

Massie first brought forward the resolution in September. House leaders put off a scheduled floor vote until after the November midterms. The immediate deadline is for the House to take up the measure procedurally. Massie’s case centres on the authority to launch the war and Hegseth’s responsibility for carrying out the orders.

Trump Defends the War and Turns on Massie

“Pete Hegseth won two wars,” Trump told reporters on Monday, before mocking the call to impeach him. He asked why officials who led US operations in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan had escaped similar scrutiny. Trump cited 18 American deaths and compared what he described as seven months in Iran with the much longer US involvement in Vietnam. He questioned why officials who led wars in which thousands died had not faced the same demands for removal.

Trump also asserted that US strikes had dismantled Iranian nuclear infrastructure and prevented Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “We saved Israel and the Middle East,” he said. He described Hegseth as one of the people most responsible for the campaign and questioned why that role should put his job at risk.

Trump then turned on Massie personally. “He’s a loser. He shouldn’t be taking up the time of Congress or the Senate,” he said. The president accused Massie of habitually voting against Republican legislation, arguing that the congressman would oppose even a bill the party considered its best effort.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also defended Hegseth in Paris, where he was attending the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting. Rubio said the Pentagon chief had “done a great job”. He told reporters that working alongside Hegseth gave him a view of the secretary that the media and members of Congress might not see, according to CNN.

Jeffries Backs Impeachment as Hegseth Plans a Briefing

“I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,” Jeffries told ABC News. He accused the defence secretary of abusing his power, undermining national security and helping engineer what he called a “reckless and costly war of choice in Iran”. Jeffries argued that the conflict had pushed up prices for Americans and left the country less safe.

Jeffries also said Democrats would pursue efforts to end the war if they took control of Congress in January. His support puts the House Democratic leader behind a resolution brought by a Republican, even as Trump and Rubio defend Hegseth’s role in the campaign.

Hegseth dismissed the impeachment effort as politically motivated. “It’s all about the politics of personal destruction. Didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me. You can rest assured of that,” he said.

The defence secretary also backed Trump’s handling of the war in remarks at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. His planned Tuesday appearance at the Pentagon would be his first press conference since May 5, Fox News reported.

With inputs from ANI