Photo: U.S. Department of Defense / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain
NEWPORT, R.I. – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters Monday “we’re not worried about that” when asked about the push in Congress to impeach him, and said critics of the military actions at issue are “taking issue with the troops.” He spoke after addressing the Naval War College. He also said he will hold a news conference on the impeachment effort at the Pentagon on Tuesday, which the Pentagon says will start at 8 a.m. ET. That event has not been held. See our earlier report.
“If you want to take issue with what we did in Epic Fury or Rough Rider or nabbing Nicolas Maduro, you’re taking issue with the troops and what they accomplished, which is historic,” Hegseth said, using the code names for the Iran war and the strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, and referring to the capture of Venezuela’s former president. Asked about his record, he said he was “happy to do it all day long.” He called the effort “partisan political games” and said: “Don’t worry about the noise. We’re focused on delivering the president’s agenda.”
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky says he will force a House vote this week on a resolution with eight articles of impeachment. They include allegations that Hegseth waged the Iran war without congressional approval. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Sunday he is a “hard yes” on impeachment. Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said he thinks “there are enough Republicans who want him gone.” Even if the House votes to impeach, removal would require a two-thirds Senate vote in a trial. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth “will not back down.” President Donald Trump has said he still has confidence in Hegseth.
Why it matters: it would be rare for the House to impeach a sitting defense secretary, and a vote could come this week. Still unknown: exactly when the vote will be forced, how many Republicans will back it, and what Hegseth will say Tuesday.
File photo: Hegseth speaking at the U.S. Naval Academy in April 2025. It is not from Monday’s remarks.
JBizNews Desk | Newport, R.I.
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