Hegseth Calls Impeachment Push a 'Farce' as House Vote Looms

On Tuesday morning, standing at the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth took on the effort to impeach him. He called it a "farce" and a "political spectacle" hours before the House was expected to vote on it. "What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it's not accountability," he said, describing the push as "a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment."

The congressman is Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who has criticized Hegseth for months. Massie introduced updated articles of impeachment on Monday, eight in all. They accuse the defense secretary of abusing his office by launching the Iran war without congressional approval, ignoring laws meant to minimize civilian casualties, and retaliating against Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, among other allegations. Under House rules, the chamber has two legislative days to schedule a vote. Massie said the House would take up the resolution Tuesday evening, though it would likely first hold a procedural vote to table it.

Hegseth said Massie was acting out of "personal animus" toward President Trump and dislike of the administration's policies. He argued the effort is only a first step that would lead to action against service members who took part in strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean. "None of these are high crimes or misdemeanors," he said. "They're partisan policy disagreements from people who want to politicize our military." He compared his situation to Trump's two impeachments in the president's first term, both of which ended in Senate acquittal. "If standing with President Trump puts me in that company, I'll take that company every day of the week," he said. He also noted that the House never moved to impeach his predecessor, Lloyd Austin. He listed what the department has done in Trump's second term, including military operations against Iran, and praised the president for going to war with Tehran. He claimed a "ton of support" on Capitol Hill and said Republicans "don't want to vote for something that isn't real."

Trump weighed in shortly after. On Truth Social he gave Hegseth an "A" with multiple pluses and called Massie a "TOTAL LOSER." On Monday he had told reporters he would stand by Hegseth if he were impeached, calling Massie a "stone-cold loser" and asking, "What has Hegseth done? Pete Hegseth won two wars."

The timing matters. Massie is leaving Congress in January after losing his primary to a Trump-backed challenger. His renewed push follows sweeping Republican losses in the midterms, which members of both parties blamed on the Iran war and soaring energy prices. The war's status is unclear: Trump has said he plans to maintain the "status quo" and does not think escalation will be necessary.

The arithmetic is difficult. Until Democrats take the House in January, impeachment would need at least three Republicans, assuming every Democrat votes yes and depending on absences. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said Monday he is a "hard yes," calling Hegseth the "architect of the reckless and costly failed war of choice in Iran." Massie said he had no commitment from any other Republican. Conviction in the Senate would take more than a dozen Republicans.

Speaker Mike Johnson expects the effort to fail. He told CBS News that impeaching a Cabinet secretary "in the middle of hostilities abroad would be a terrible, terrible look," and told reporters, "You don't impeach a Cabinet secretary lightly." He said the articles had no due process behind them and were "purely for people to get attention."

Some Republicans have not shut the door. One said on "Face the Nation" over the weekend that he wanted to hear the debate to judge whether impeachment or other discipline was warranted. Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon, a retiring moderate, said he is "wrestling" with it: "I don't think he's been a good secretary, but do you impeach a guy for that?"

Massie challenged Hegseth to answer each article from a podium, with notes and lawyers if he wished. What to watch now is the tabling vote and whether any Republican besides Massie breaks ranks, and whether Hegseth acts on his warning about the boat-strike service members.