In a recent press conference, United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth condemned the impeachment resolution introduced against him on Monday by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Hegseth referred to the impeachment efforts as a "farce" and "sabotage," claiming that they represent policy disagreements rather than legitimate grounds for removal from office. The impeachment resolution alleges violations of United States laws, particularly in relation to the war on Iran, strikes on purported drug boats, and other unauthorized military actions. In response, President Donald Trump has voiced his support for Hegseth, praising his defense against the impeachment effort as "A PLUS, PLUS, PLUS." The House of Representatives is expected to take an initial vote on the impeachment resolution on Tuesday. Republican Mike Johnson, who leads the party's majority in the House, has stated that he expects the impeachment attempt to be defeated. The impeachment effort sends a negative message to both allies and enemies, according to Johnson, and undermines the United States' position during international conflict. Massie argues that Hegseth has broken the law by engaging in military actions without obtaining authorization from Congress, particularly with regards to Operation Epic Fury in Iran, which has been ongoing for over 250 days without congressional approval. During his first news conference at the Pentagon in nearly six months, Hegseth defended his role in military actions ordered by President Trump and addressed several of the issues raised in the impeachment resolution against him. He argued that strikes on alleged drug boats were necessary to protect American lives and that former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was not kidnapped but brought to justice. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also defended Hegseth, stating that actions such as the strikes on drug boats and the Iran war were in response to imminent threats to the United States.
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Hegseth compared military losses under his tenure with other historic conflicts, noting that only 18 Americans have died during the US-Israel war against Iran, while over 60,000 were killed in the Vietnam War and 37,000 in the Korean War. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has stated that he supports the impeachment of Hegseth, claiming that he has abused his power, undermined national security, and engineered a reckless and costly war of choice in Iran. The Democrats will hold a majority in the House starting in January, but they do not have enough votes in the Senate to actually remove Hegseth from office. Despite this, Democrats in the Senate are expected to have about 54 seats in the upper chamber of Congress, potentially allowing them to exert pressure on the Republican-led Senate to consider the impeachment resolution.