Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth convened journalists at the Pentagon for an unscheduled 8am news conference, a departure from his practice of avoiding press briefings for nearly six months. The gathering followed Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky’s introduction of eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, which accusers say include violations of the U.S. Constitution and the War Powers Resolution.
Massie’s impeachment articles allege multiple violations, including waging war against Iran without congressional authorization, executing unauthorized military strikes in the Caribbean and Yemen, unlawfully capturing Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, and retaliating against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly for urging military personnel to refuse illegal orders. The accusations also include violations of laws designed to protect civilian populations during military operations.
Hegseth characterized the impeachment effort as a “farce and a stunt” rooted in policy disagreements rather than legitimate grounds for impeachment. He argued that no defense secretary in American history has faced impeachment for executing lawful military operations and cited precedents from previous administrations, including operations in Lebanon, Kosovo, Iraq, and Syria under Republican and Democratic administrations alike. He stated that the founders did not intend impeachment for such actions, which he described as “successful” military operations.
Throughout his remarks, Hegseth framed the impeachment push as an indirect attack on President Trump, under whose administration he serves. He expressed pride in serving as a proxy target and stated his willingness to stand with the president. Hegseth also criticized media coverage, asserting that journalists cannot acknowledge military successes against Iran due to their opposition to Trump. When questioned about Vice-President JD Vance, who has blamed the Iran war for recent Republican electoral losses, Hegseth stated he respected the vice president while declining to engage in blame assignment.
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