US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called threats of renewed impeachment proceedings a farce and sabotage during a Tuesday press conference reported by lsm.lv.
Republican Congressman Thomas Massie announced last week that he plans to resubmit an initiative to remove the defense secretary from office when Congress resumes its sessions, according to lsm.lv.
Massie stated that Hegseth broke the law by engaging in hostilities for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, the BBC reported via bnn.lv. Massie, who first proposed the impeachment in September, intends to move for a vote in the House of Representatives, bnn.lv reported.
“What one disgruntled and defeated member of Congress is trying to achieve is neither oversight nor accountability,” Hegseth said, as reported by lsm.lv. “It is a political show, a personal manifesto driven by ego and bitterness.”
Massie first introduced his impeachment resolution on the evening of November 9, giving the House of Representatives 48 hours to act, bnn.lv noted. Massie told journalists he was doing what is right, adding that he wants to compel Donald Trump to replace Hegseth before Democrats take control of Congress in January, according to bnn.lv.
Impeachment attempts against cabinet ministers are extremely rare, and removal requires approval from both chambers of Congress, bnn.lv reported. While the House has twice moved to impeach a minister in US history, the Senate has not confirmed any, bnn.lv reported.
Addressing the war in the Middle East, Hegseth insisted that Iran started the conflict against the United States 47 years ago following the Islamic Revolution, lsm.lv reported. He characterized the decision to engage Iran as a brave move by President Trump, citing “Operation Midnight Hammer” and “Operation Epic Fury” as decisive actions.
“If you want to challenge what we did in operations ‘Epic Fury’ or ‘Rough Rider,’ or the detention of Nicolas Maduro, you are challenging the troops and what they have achieved,” Hegseth told reporters, as quoted by apollo.lv. The defense secretary also quoted President Trump, emphasizing that “we must not allow crazy Islamists to get a nuclear bomb,” apollo.lv reported.
Meanwhile, an Associated Press poll of more than 100,000 voters showed that roughly six in ten respondents believed the US made the wrong decision by starting the war against Iran, according to apollo.lv. However, only about one-third of voters identified the war with Iran as a decisive factor in their midterm election choices, while approximately half cited the cost of living or government corruption, apollo.lv reported.
Massie argues that Hegseth violated the law by leading military operations for more than 90 days without congressional authorization, as reported by bnn.lv.
Massie’s efforts are unlikely to yield results before January because Republicans will be in power in Congress until then, bnn.lv noted.
Trump has signaled support for Hegseth, praising the administration’s actions in Venezuela and defending the defense secretary’s role in the conflict with Iran, according to bnn.lv.
Tuesday’s briefing marked Hegseth’s first press conference in 180 days, apollo.lv reported. The proceedings follow announcements by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries regarding plans by the Democratic Party, which secured majorities in both chambers during the midterms, to begin impeachment proceedings, apollo.lv reported.
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