US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth opposed an attempt to impeach him, calling the accusations from Republican congressman Thomas Massie a political spectacle. The head of the Pentagon rejected the claims regarding the American military operations conducted and stated that he acted within the law.
Hegseth said this on Tuesday, November 10, during a press conference at the Pentagon, BBC reports. It was his first full interaction with journalists in the defense department building in the last six months.
The appearance took place amid preparations by the US House of Representatives to consider an initiative to impeach the Secretary of Defense.
“This is a farce and a political stunt, and everyone understands that,” — Hegseth said, commenting on Massie's actions.
According to the head of the Pentagon, the congressman's initiative has no relation to real parliamentary oversight or holding officials accountable.
Hegseth accused his opponent of trying to organize a political show and damage the administration of President Donald Trump.
The reason for the possible impeachment were the decisions of the Pentagon chief to conduct several military operations, primarily the war against Iran.
On November 9, Republican Thomas Massie introduced a resolution in Congress containing eight articles of impeachment against the Secretary of Defense.
Four of them are directly related to the US military campaign against Iran. The congressman claims that the administration initiated hostilities without the necessary authorization from Congress and continued them in violation of restrictions provided by US law.
The remaining claims concern strikes on ships suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and the Pacific, American operations in Venezuela and Yemen, as well as Hegseth's actions regarding Democratic senator Mark Kelly.
Massie believes that some of the secretary's decisions violated constitutional limits on executive power and the requirements of legislation on the use of armed forces.
Hegseth rejected these accusations, stating that all the mentioned operations were conducted by order of the US President.
According to the secretary, the military actions against Iran, operations in Venezuela and Yemen, as well as strikes on alleged drug traffickers, were legal and successfully executed.
“I support each of these operations. I am proud to have carried them out, and I would do it again tomorrow,” — the Pentagon chief emphasized.
Hegseth also said that the attempt to hold him accountable sets a dangerous precedent for American service members who carry out the orders of the nation's leadership.
In his opinion, consideration of the accusations could cast doubt on the legality of the actions of the military personnel involved in the relevant operations.
At the same time, the secretary did not acknowledge any violations and characterized the congressman's claims as disagreements over public policy, not grounds for impeachment.
US President Donald Trump publicly supported Hegseth. After the press conference, he highly praised the defense secretary's performance and again criticized Thomas Massie.
Trump has previously said he intends to support the Pentagon chief even if the House of Representatives approves impeachment.
House Speaker Mike Johnson also opposed Massie's initiative. Republican leadership is considering procedural options to reject the resolution or refer it to a committee for consideration.
Under parliamentary rules, Congress must consider the initiative within two legislative days after its introduction. However, this does not mean that the vote will necessarily result in a direct decision on impeachment.
To impeach the secretary, a simple majority of the House of Representatives is required. If the resolution is approved, the case is sent to the Senate, where removal from office requires the support of two-thirds of the senators present.
As of the time of the press conference, no decision had been made to impeach Hegseth.
Based on materials from: BBC, ABC News, Pentagon press conference.
