Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Rep. Thomas Massie’s impeachment resolution a “sham” and a “political spectacle” at a news conference on Tuesday, Nov. 10. (Foto: Instagram)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called an impeachment resolution filed by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky a “sham” and a “political spectacle” during a news conference in the United States on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Hegseth said the effort amounted to political dissent that “plays games with the Constitution and attacks the chain of command.”
Hegseth argued that the resolution would send a message to U.S. adversaries, including Iran and drug cartels, that the country would punish its own military personnel and civilian leaders for carrying out successful, lawful military operations. He characterized the operations he had overseen as legal and successful, and said he would make the same decisions again despite the criticism.
“We will not apologize for putting American lives first,” Hegseth said. His remarks were a response to Massie’s resolution, which contains eight articles that could lead to Hegseth’s impeachment.
The resolution accuses Hegseth of conducting a war in Iran without congressional authorization and disregarding laws intended to reduce civilian deaths. It also alleges that he ordered the Department of Defense to carry out extrajudicial executions. These are allegations contained in Massie’s filing, not established findings.
President Donald Trump defended Hegseth in a social media post on Monday. Trump described him as “perhaps the most popular and successful military leader in the country” and said he should be praised rather than impeached.
Trump also credited Hegseth with victories involving Venezuela and Iran. The war in Iran is among the main sources of criticism cited against the defense secretary, according to the account of the dispute.
