Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a press conference Tuesday, his first from the Pentagon in six months, to defend his military operations and condemn impeachment efforts against him as rooted in "policy disagreements" rather than constitutional grounds for removal.
Hegseth spoke one day after Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced eight articles of impeachment against him, primarily focused on the Iran war but also addressing military actions in Yemen against Houthi rebels and operations in Venezuela.
"In the 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations," Hegseth told reporters Tuesday. He characterized the impeachment push as rooted in "policy disagreements" rather than the high crimes or misdemeanors the nation's founders intended as grounds for impeachment.
"This is not patriotism. This is sabotage," Hegseth said, dismissing criticism of his handling of the unpopular Iran war and other military actions. "It's a farce, and it's a stunt."
When asked about the Iran war specifically, Hegseth expressed no regret. "I stand beside every one of these operations. I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow," he said.
Hegseth noted that previous impeachment attempts against President Donald Trump had failed and predicted the same outcome for efforts against him. "They will fail again," he said.
Massie, a Kentucky Republican who lost his primary to a Trump-backed candidate, introduced the impeachment resolution Monday. On Tuesday, the House was scheduled to hold a procedural vote on whether to kill the resolution. In a post on X, Massie said: "If we can overcome that effort, we will proceed to a real debate and vote on the Articles of Impeachment."
President Trump indicated Monday that he would stand by Hegseth if impeachment proceedings advance. The Pentagon chief's combative defense reflects the administration's broader strategy of characterizing congressional criticism as partisan obstruction rather than legitimate oversight.
Hegseth's first Pentagon press briefing since May comes as the U.S. military has maintained intermittent operations against Iran and conducted strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels in Latin America. The Defense Secretary's aggressive posture suggests the administration intends to vigorously contest any impeachment effort in Congress.