President Donald Trump said he would support Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if lawmakers move to impeach him, after Rep. Thomas Massie introduced a measure seeking Hegseth’s removal. (Foto: Instagram)
President Donald Trump said Monday, Nov. 9, that he would support Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if lawmakers move to impeach him. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced a measure seeking Hegseth’s removal earlier in the day, amid criticism of the administration’s handling of U.S. military operations.
“Yes, I will support him,” Trump said. He also called Massie “a complete loser” and accused him of harboring animosity. Trump questioned why Hegseth should face impeachment, saying the United States had won two wars and made the world safer. He praised the defense secretary’s performance, saying Hegseth had “done a great job.”
Trump cited U.S. military operations in Venezuela and Iran in defending Hegseth. He said the secretary had “won the war in Venezuela” and described as “flawless” the operation that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. On Iran, Trump said Hegseth was “winning the war.” Those remarks were Trump’s characterization of the operations.
Trump also compared the criticism of Hegseth with scrutiny of Lloyd Austin, who served as defense secretary during President Joe Biden’s administration. Trump referred to Austin’s hospitalization from late 2023 into early 2024, when Austin was temporarily away from his duties and the public was not immediately informed. Trump asked why Austin had not faced impeachment over wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other conflicts in which thousands of people died.
Massie’s resolution seeks to initiate impeachment proceedings against Hegseth. The effort comes as criticism grows over the Iran war and as members of the Trump administration face pressure following Republican losses in the midterm elections. The filing of impeachment articles requires the House of Representatives to consider the proposal by Wednesday, Nov. 11.
The conflict in the Middle East became a major point of strain for the Trump administration during the election campaign. Higher prices for fuel, airline tickets and other goods put pressure on U.S. household budgets and added to dissatisfaction with the White House’s economic policies. Trump acknowledged that the war affected the election results, particularly through rising fuel costs, but said he would make the decision to launch the offensive again. Vice President JD Vance also cited the conflict as one factor in the Republicans’ poor performance.
Earlier Monday, Hegseth played down the prospect of impeachment and said he was not concerned about criticism of his leadership. He said some politically motivated people may have major policy disagreements, but added that “their disagreements are with success.” He also said his team was not worried about “the noise,” and that he had told troops not to be concerned by it.
