WASHINGTON, DC – US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has dismissed a fresh attempt to impeach him as a political stunt, insisting that the move is driven by disagreements over military policy rather than any wrongdoing in the discharge of his duties.
Hegseth's defiant response came Tuesday after Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky reintroduced articles of impeachment against him in Congress, making him one of the latest members of President Donald Trump's administration to face calls for removal.
Speaking at a press conference at the Pentagon, Hegseth brushed aside the effort, arguing that no defence secretary should face impeachment for carrying out lawful military operations.
“It's a farce, and it's a stunt, and everybody knows it,” he told reporters.
Massie's impeachment effort comes amid growing criticism of the US military's involvement in the war with Iran, which has contributed to economic uncertainty and rising costs for Americans. The articles also raise concerns about other military actions undertaken under the Trump administration.
Hegseth, however, characterised Massie's actions as little more than a disagreement over government policy, questioning whether the allegations met the constitutional threshold for impeachment.
“One disgruntled congressman wants to shred it over policy disagreements,” he said.
“That's what it is, policy disagreements. Not high crimes, not misdemeanours, not treason, not bribery, not the kinds of offences the founders intended when they wrote the impeachment clause,” he added.
The defence secretary has faced mounting scrutiny, particularly from Democrats, over the administration's handling of the Iran conflict and the broader direction of US military policy.
He argued that disagreements over policy should be addressed through debate and legislation rather than impeachment proceedings.
“It's not handing the House and Senate floor to the Democrats so they can run a show trial against the President and the Secretary of War while Republicans still control Congress and should be delivering wins for the American people. You see, we've seen this show before,” Hegseth said.
In defending his record, Hegseth also turned his attention to the previous administration of President Joe Biden, arguing that decisions made during that period had caused far greater damage to America's national security but did not result in comparable calls for impeachment.
He pointed specifically to the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 and the Chinese surveillance balloon that entered American airspace before being shot down by US forces.
“This is sabotage. You know, five years ago, America was humiliated in Kabul, Afghanistan. And every enemy on Earth took notice,” he said.
“But somehow, as the President pointed out yesterday, no impeachment vote for Lloyd Austin for that terrible withdrawal. Not even one vote. Or no impeachment vote for when he went AWOL for over a week.”
Since returning to office last year, the Trump administration has pursued an increasingly aggressive military posture internationally, including operations in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Under Hegseth's leadership, the Pentagon has conducted strikes against vessels in Caribbean waters that the administration alleges were transporting illegal drugs. The operations have attracted criticism over the lack of publicly presented evidence identifying those aboard the vessels as drug traffickers and concerns about the legality of the strikes.
Hegseth, however, defended the administration's record, claiming that the operations have significantly disrupted maritime drug trafficking.
“More than 70 narco vessels sunk, 218 narco terrorists dead where they should be, maritime smuggling down at least 65 percent and dropping even further. Thousands of American lives saved with every drug boat sunk and every shipment prevented. Indicted and wanted, Nicolas Maduro thought he was untouchable,” he said.
The United States also launched a military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture and removal of President Nicolás Maduro, who was subsequently transported to the United States to face criminal proceedings.
Hegseth described the Venezuela operation, alongside the ongoing military campaign against Iran, as evidence of the strength and effectiveness of the American military under the Trump administration.
“America is the only country on earth and this military the only one that could successfully execute and lead all of these operations and efforts. Sheer success, victories in both Venezuela and Iran, energy security in our hemisphere in a way none thought possible for a generation, and no nuclear bomb for Iran ever. But of course security doesn't come free,” he said.
He also acknowledged the human cost of the military operations, noting that while no American service members were killed during the Venezuela mission, 18 had lost their lives in Operation Epic Fury, the US military campaign against Iran.
“Nobody was lost in the mission in Venezuela, but 18 Americans have given their lives in Operation Epic Fury. We know their names. I've been to Dover,” Hegseth said, referring to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where fallen US service members are received.
The impeachment articles against Hegseth must secure a simple majority in the House of Representatives to advance to the Senate, where a trial would determine whether he should be convicted and removed from office.
However, conviction requires the support of two-thirds of senators present, making Hegseth's removal unlikely given the current political composition of the upper chamber.
For now, the defence secretary appears determined to remain on the offensive, portraying the impeachment effort as politically motivated and insisting that his handling of America's military operations should be judged through policy debate rather than proceedings aimed at removing him from office.
