War Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back Tuesday against a House resolution seeking his impeachment on eight articles, defending military operations in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen as lawful. He also accused the effort’s sponsor, Rep. Thomas Massie, of turning congressional oversight into a personal political spectacle.
“It’s a farce, and it’s a stunt,” Hegseth said at a morning news conference. He argued that the resolution was driven by ego and resentment and would harm the president, the country and the troops carrying out military operations.
President Donald Trump praised Hegseth’s response in a Truth Social post, giving him an “A” plus and calling Massie a “total loser.” Trump had also criticized the impeachment effort the previous evening, saying Hegseth deserved praise rather than impeachment.
Hegseth said the operations involving Iran, drug cartels, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and Yemen were ordered by the president, reported to Congress and carried out by U.S. forces. He said the actions weakened hostile groups, stopped boats carrying drugs and led to Maduro’s arrest.
“I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow,” Hegseth said. He argued that pursuing impeachment would give U.S. adversaries a propaganda advantage by suggesting the country would punish officials and service members for conducting lawful operations.
Hegseth also said no defense secretary had previously faced impeachment for carrying out military operations, pointing to actions under Presidents Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. In his view, disagreements over policy should be addressed through legislation, debate or elections, not impeachment proceedings.
He warned that the effort could turn impeachment into a political weapon and described the prospect of a congressional proceeding as a “show trial.” Hegseth said the founders intended impeachment for serious offenses such as high crimes, misdemeanors, treason or bribery—not disputes over policy.
Hegseth said Democrats had renewed their efforts to impeach Trump after gaining control of Congress, recalling that Trump was impeached twice during his first presidency. Both efforts failed, Hegseth said, and he predicted the current attempt against a Cabinet official would also fall short.
Trump said in his Monday post that military recruitment had risen to a record high from a low under Biden, and cited what he called victories in Venezuela and Iran as reasons Hegseth should be commended.
