Washington: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed the impeachment effort against him as a “political spectacle”, arguing that it would punish American military personnel and civilian leaders for carrying out what he described as lawful operations.
Speaking at a Pentagon news conference on Tuesday, Hegseth accused Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of using the impeachment process to pursue a personal agenda and damage President Donald Trump's administration.
“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,” he said.
Calling the resolution a “farce” and a “stunt”, Hegseth argued that the move was intended to undermine the president rather than hold the administration accountable.
The defence secretary also defended the Trump administration's military campaign against Iran, insisting that the proposed impeachment action sent the wrong message to US adversaries.
“No secretary of defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations, and in our case, successful ones at that,” Hegseth said.
He argued that the resolution would tell countries such as Iran, along with other adversaries, that Washington could punish its own military personnel and civilian leadership for executing operations.
Hegseth also defended Trump's decision to launch military action against Iran, describing it as a necessary response to the threat posed by the country's nuclear ambitions. The administration has maintained that its operations were aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Hegseth's remarks came a day after Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment against him in the House of Representatives.
The Kentucky Republican's resolution focuses primarily on the administration's military campaign against Iran, accusing Hegseth of launching and continuing the war without congressional authorisation and violating the War Powers Resolution.
It also raises allegations concerning military operations in Yemen, Venezuela, the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific. Other charges relate to civilian protection during military operations and alleged retaliation against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. These are allegations contained in the resolution and have not been established as findings against Hegseth.
Massie has described Hegseth's conduct as amounting to “high crimes and misdemeanors”, arguing that his leadership at the Pentagon warrants impeachment.
The resolution could come up for a House vote by Wednesday. Under the procedure being used, the House must take up the privileged impeachment measure within two legislative days, although lawmakers could seek to refer or table it.
Trump has publicly defended his defence secretary and said he would stand by him even if the House votes to impeach him.
The president has pointed to US military operations against Iran and the January raid that captured former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro as achievements under Hegseth's leadership.
The impeachment effort comes after Republicans suffered major losses in the November midterm elections. The Iran conflict and its economic consequences, including higher energy prices, have been cited by some Republican lawmakers as factors behind the party's poor performance.
However, the outcome of the impeachment vote remains uncertain. Massie has said he does not have commitments from other Republicans to support the resolution. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also expressed reservations about impeaching a Cabinet secretary while military operations abroad are continuing.
Even if the House approves the articles, removing Hegseth would require a conviction in the Senate, where a two-thirds majority is needed.