Challenging the impeachment proceedings brought against him, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth argued that the effort sends a message to America's adversaries that the country "punishes its own warriors."
In his first media briefing since May, he said that "in the 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defence has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations," as he pushed back against the impeachment threat initiated by outgoing Republican lawmaker Thomas Massie.
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Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing an imminent House vote on eight articles of impeachment introduced by outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.
Following a devastating Republican defeat in the recent midterm elections, a resolution introduced by Kentucky's Massie—who lost his primary to a challenger backed by President Donald Trump—has paved the way for a vote to oust Hegseth from the administration.
Aiming at Massie on Tuesday, Hegseth dismissed the effort against him as the work of a "disgruntled and defeated" Congressman driven by "policy disagreements."
"It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment. Time for one man's final days in Congress to try to do damage to this president. It's a farce, and it's a stunt, and everybody knows it," Hegseth said.
Defending the US war in Iran—a conflict that has drawn widespread global criticism and exacted a heavy political toll on Republicans—Hegseth argued that "history will judge the Iran war quite differently than conventional wisdom right now."
"We didn't start this war. Iran did 47 years ago," he said.
Although the impeachment resolution primarily targets US military operations in Iran, it also cites Hegseth's involvement in Venezuela and in actions against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The measure argues that his conduct amounts to "high crimes and misdemeanours" and that his leadership at the Pentagon "warrants impeachment." Because the Constitution does not explicitly define what qualifies as "high crimes and misdemeanours," it will ultimately be up to lawmakers to decide which of Hegseth's actions meet the threshold for impeachment.
Defending his role in directing US military campaigns across Yemen, Iran, and Venezuela, alongside the targeting of alleged narcotics vessels, Hegseth stated that he stands behind "every one of these operations."
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"I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow," Hegseth said.
He added that the action against him was like attacking the US troops.
"These resolutions tell every one of them that their service was a crime. Their service was not a crime. These are heroes," he said.
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