Defiant Hegseth blasts impeachment effort as 'spectacle,' puts 'target' on troops
Rep. Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Monday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed an effort to impeach him as "political spectacle," saying the resolution signals to America's enemies that Congress will "punish its own warriors and its own civilian leadership for successfully executing lawful military operations."
"What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it's not accountability. It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment," Hegseth said during a press conference at the Pentagon.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon, November 10, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The press conference comes as calls to impeach Hegseth have grown as several Republicans have attributed the GOP's sweeping midterm losses to the Iran war. Republican Rep. Thomas Massie introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth on the House floor Monday afternoon.
The House must take up the measure, since impeachment is a privileged matter, within two legislative days -- forcing Republicans to go on the record after suffering major losses in the 2026 midterm elections.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) holds a press conference about his resolution to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 9, 2026.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
After the articles of impeachment were introduced on Monday, President Donald Trump said during a press briefing that Hegseth has "won the war in Iran."
"He certainly, I think, he's won the war in Iran, but he's certainly winning the war," Trump said of Hegseth. "Iran would love to make a deal. And they've been obliterated, their navy and their air force."
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