Pete Hegseth said he would withstand any effort to impeach him, calling the accusations politically motivated. (Foto: Instagram)
Pete Hegseth, the U.S. secretary of war, said Thursday, Nov. 5, that any effort to impeach him would fail. In a video posted on social media, the Pentagon chief responded to reports that Democratic lawmakers could seek his removal after the party won a majority in Congress in the midterm elections.
“They attack me and attack us because we are effective. It won’t work. We will not back down. We will always put America and the fight first, without apology,” Hegseth said. He added that the fight would continue in the incoming Congress, particularly over what he called the administration’s “historic and vital” budget.
Hegseth compared a potential impeachment effort to the attempts to impeach President Donald Trump. He characterized the accusations against him as the work of a defeated congressman and Democratic allies. “A bitter, defeated congressman, along with all his Democratic allies, also filed sham articles of impeachment against me, just as they tried twice against President Trump,” Hegseth said. “It didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work against me.”
According to CNN International, lawmakers could file the measure as soon as next week, before the newly elected members of Congress are scheduled to take office in January. The prospect of Hegseth’s removal gained traction as Republicans debated the reasons for their losses in the legislative elections and sought to assign responsibility. The administration’s handling of the war with Iran was cited as one factor that hurt the government.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance also pointed to the conflict as one reason for the Democratic gains, described as a “blue wave.” On Wednesday, Nov. 4, Trump acknowledged that the war had affected the election results, particularly through rising fuel prices, but said he would make the same decision again. Vance was more direct: “The reason we lost was the war. The president himself said that last night.”
The war with Iran has driven up fuel and airfares and contributed to inflation in the United States, with its cost estimated at as much as $100 billion. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 48% of voters named the cost of living as their top concern, while 55% said the military offensive was not worth the expense. A cease-fire attempt failed, and the conflict continues at a lower intensity. The most recent U.S. attack was reported to have taken place Nov. 2 on Iran’s Qeshm Island.
