Pete Hegseth dismissed the impeachment attempt as a “political spectacle,” accusing the Republican lawmaker who moved to force the vote of trying to stage a “show trial.”
At a press conference on Tuesday, the US Secretary of Defense – accused of illegally waging a war without congressional authorization and of abusing his powers – claimed he was simply being pursued by political opponents of Donald Trump.
“It’s a prank, it’s a set-up, and everyone knows it,” he said.
This comes after Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, introduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Monday. Massie is an incumbent congressman, having lost his seat to a Trump-backed rival in the Republican primary earlier this year.
This decision “puts a target on the backs of American warriors,” Hegseth argued Tuesday. “It’s not patriotism,” he said. “This is sabotage.”
The House is expected to take up the resolution Tuesday evening, likely after first holding a procedural vote to table the measure. Since Massie filed it as a privileged resolution, the House must act within two legislative days.
Massie’s 34-page resolution, which he read aloud on the House floor, centers on the war in Iran. Three of the articles cite the War Powers Resolution of 1973, and the first accuses Hegseth of proceeding without a declaration of war, legal authorization, attack on the United States, or imminent threat. Other articles concern the strikes in Yemen, his treatment of Democratic Senator Mark Kelly and “ignorance of laws that minimize civilian casualties.”
Hegseth said the effort lacked support among Republicans. He claimed a “ton of support” on Capitol Hill, saying his team had worked with House Speaker Mike Johnson, and described Massie as “a disgruntled guy.” Johnson himself called the effort a “set-up” in September, when he dismissed the House early for the midterm recess, thereby avoiding a vote.
But the political terrain has changed since the November 3 midterm elections. Several House Republicans privately told Fox News they believe impeachment could pass, citing a mix of resentment toward Hegseth and absences among members who lost their seats.
The Republican majority is 218 votes to 214, and only members present in Washington can vote. As of Monday evening, the tally showed 399 total votes from lawmakers, with a majority coming from Democrats.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries favored a “resounding yes,” and no Democrats appear likely to vote against impeaching Hegseth. Massie said he expects “several” Republicans to join Democrats, although most Republicans are still expected to oppose the move. In September, the House voted 220-204 to end Trump’s war in Iran, with seven Republicans joining Democrats.
Hegseth said the articles were not only aimed at him but also at the troops carrying out his orders. “Judge the secretary today, and tomorrow the men and women who carried out these orders,” he said. Every operation cited by the articles, he insisted, including strikes on Iran and Yemen, attacks on suspected drug boats and the capture of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, was legal, ordered by Trump and notified to Congress.
He said the U.S. military does not target civilians, calling the allegation a “lie” and “slander.” He framed the effort as a partisan attack on a successful record: “no failure here, just an indictment for success.”
If the House impeaches Hegseth, he would be the third cabinet secretary in history to be impeached, and the case would go to the Senate for trial. Conviction would require a two-thirds majority. Massie noted that the articles would persist until the next Congress, when Democrats control the Senate, and said a trial might not begin until 2027.
Hegseth said his priority in the Trump administration’s remaining lame duck period through 2028 was to secure “350 billion at a minimum” in defense funding through reconciliation.
He called the impeachment attempt a “circus” and concluded his Tuesday speech with a message to the troops: “Don’t blink, ignore the noise, never hesitate. This is all politics.”
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