The U.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, defended himself on Tuesday at a press conference at the Pentagon against the reproaches and accusations that could lead to an impeachment process, a political trial that could result in his removal. He did so in his usual style, cornering the back of the room and threatening unsympathetic press, ignoring their questions, invoking God and the authority of Donald Trump, and labeling the process as a "farce and a setup that everyone recognizes." "A personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment" against him and the president. "For the first time in U.S. history, a cabinet member in charge of the military is being attacked not for losing conflicts with our enemies, but for winning them. Condemned not for defeat, but for military victory. Impeachment for success," he quipped.
On Monday afternoon, outgoing Congressman Thomas Massie presented the necessary documentation in the House of Representatives to initiate the impeachment process. Massie, a Republican, will not serve in the next legislature. He was once an ally of Trump, loyal to the MAGA movement, but in the last two years, the break has been total. He was one of those who pushed for the votes to declassify the Epstein papers and now wants to exit politics in Washington by taking down Hegseth, probably the most scrutinized, questioned, and vulnerable member of the administration.
Massie did not want to wait for the new congressmen and senators to be sworn in on January 3, already with a Democratic majority. He wants to send a signal and believes he has enough votes to lead to Hegseth's removal, the top official responsible for the Iran war, but also for purging the entire military leadership, suppressing rules to control potential misconduct by troops, blocking the promotion of women, African Americans, and high-ranking officials he considers ideologically incompatible with this government's line.
Massie's resolution, with eight articles, is an updated version of one he had attempted to advance in September. The central accusation is that Hegseth defied Congress during the war with Iran and violated the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which limits the president's authority to engage the country in armed conflict. Massie claims that Hegseth maintained hostilities in Iran for over 90 days without Congressional authorization. The articles also accuse him of suppressing freedom of speech and of "extrajudicial executions" and abuse of power, referring to the destruction of boats in the Caribbean. There is also one regarding the operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, which the congressman considers a cover to seize Venezuelan oil.
In April, House Democrats had already presented six articles against Hegseth, which did not reach a vote in the full chamber. Today, Congress will first vote on a procedural matter to see if Republicans can block the proposal. But if it is not blocked throughout the day, the eight articles will be addressed and voted on.
In his appearance, Hegseth called the accusations a "political spectacle," said they were a direct attack on the armed forces, and labeled Massie, who lost the Republican primaries this year after challenging Trump, as a "resentful guy." He argued that what Massie calls crimes are "policy disagreements" and have nothing to do with what the framers of the Constitution had in mind when drafting the impeachment clause. His strategy consisted of insulting critics, doubling down on praise for Trump and his new powerful chief of staff, Stephen Miller, and discussing how this attack questions the troops. But his more nervous, accelerated side was evident, on the verge of losing his composure.
At all times, Hegseth compared his case to the attempts to remove Trump during his first term, stating that "they will fail again." For his part, the president reiterated his support for his controversial secretary. "Excellent job by Pete Hegseth! UNMISSABLE!" he wrote on his social media. "Pete Hegseth deserves an outstanding rating for his defense against the resentful, furious, and defeated former Congressman Thomas Massie, a true loser!" he added in another message.
Despite his defense, Hegseth's future seems very complicated. Just yesterday, Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas and not suspected of fraternizing with Democrats, warned that the secretary's margin for maneuver was running out and that if he did not resign or face dismissal, it was "very likely, if not certain," that he would be subjected to impeachment.