Pete Hegseth criticized Republican Representative Thomas Massie over his impeachment effort against the defense secretary. He described the move as “sabotage” during a rare Pentagon press conference on Tuesday. Hegseth also defended his tenure and praised President Donald Trump amid growing scrutiny.
Pete Hegseth calls Thomas Massie’s impeachment push “sabotage”
According to Deadline, Hegseth addressed the impeachment effort during a Pentagon press conference on November 10. Massie had introduced eight articles of impeachment against him the previous day. The allegations included conducting military operations against Iran without congressional authorization.
Massie’s articles also addressed alleged extrajudicial killings of suspected drug traffickers. Hegseth dismissed the allegations as policy disagreements rather than impeachable offenses. He argued that the proceedings could undermine military operations and national security.
The defense secretary warned about the message the impeachment effort could send a damaging message to America’s adversaries. He said, “This is not patriotism. This is sabotage.” He also argued that the move could put American service members at risk.
Hegseth further criticized media coverage of the ongoing war in Iran. He accused journalists of disliking Trump more than supporting the country. “The media can never just admit the military success,” he claimed.
During the press conference, Hegseth also faced questions about Vice President JD Vance, who had linked Republicans’ midterm losses to the Iran war. However, Hegseth declined to assign blame for the election results.
“I respect the vice president greatly, and I’m certainly not going to exchange any finger pointing,” Hegseth said. He also described Vance as “a critical member of the team in every aspect of this.” Hegseth added, “And thankfully, politics is not really my thing.”
Trump also publicly defended his defense secretary against the impeachment effort. He had previously told CNN that he would stand by Hegseth even if the House impeached him. Following the press conference, Trump gave his performance an “A” PLUS, PLUS, PLUS rating on Truth Social.
The impeachment effort could still advance in Congress. If the House votes to impeach Hegseth, the case would move to the Senate for consideration. Removing him from office would require a conviction by a two-thirds majority of senators present.
