‘Pete Hegseth won two wars’: Trump says as Republican Thomas Massie fires defense secretary | Today’s news
Thomas Massie, the outgoing Republican congressman from Kentucky, on Monday impeached US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war. Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of illegally waging war without congressional approval and abusing his powers as Pentagon chief.
Charge of Thomas Massie against Pete Hegseth
Hegseth “knowingly carried out and carried out illegal orders” by waging war without congressional approval, Massie, a critic of Trump who lost the primary to a candidate backed by the president, said on the House floor.
His articles report violations of the 1973 War Powers Resolution, as well as misconduct involving civilian casualties and operations in Yemen and Venezuela.
Like Trump, Republicans have protected Hegseth
Hegseth, a former Fox News weekend host and one of Trump’s handpicked appointees in his second term as US president, has been tasked with running the key Defense Department despite lacking the administrative experience to match that level.
Despite several controversies during his tenure as Secretary of War, Trump continued to support Hegseth and repeatedly dismissed the idea of firing him. While bipartisan support for impeachment of Hegseth, one of Trump’s strongest allies in Congress, is growing, House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, stonewalled previous efforts, arguing that impeaching a cabinet secretary amid ongoing hostilities abroad sends a “terrible look” to allies and enemies alike.
In September, when Massie initially tried to introduce the resolution as a privileged motion, Johnson countered by abruptly leaving the chamber and sending lawmakers home nearly seven weeks early for the midterms, effectively delaying the vote until after Election Day.
Democrats smell blood
However, the midterm results have not gone the way Republicans had hoped, and Democrats are set to control both the Senate and the House starting in January 2027, making Hegseth’s position even more vulnerable.
Democratic House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, who is slated to become speaker in January, said Sunday that it was a “hard yes” to impeachment.
“The so-called secretary of defense has abused his power, undermined our national security and set up this reckless and costly war in Iran,” Jeffries told ABC News.
“Pete Hegseth must go.
What Trump said
Trump endorsed Hegseth on Monday, saying he had done a “good job” and “won” the wars in Venezuela and Iran — referring to the blitzkrieg that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January and the unresolved eight-month conflict with Tehran.
Asked what would happen if Hegseth was indicted, Trump told reporters, “Yes, I’ll stand by him.”
Trump also called Massie a “stoner loser” over the impeachment motion.
