Hegseth Dismisses Renewed Impeachment Push, Vowing Precedent Will Hold

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday brushed aside a renewed effort to impeach him, declaring that the strategy failed against former President Donald Trump and would fail against him as well. In a video posted to X, filmed outside the Pentagon, Hegseth told viewers, “You can rest assured to that.”

The remarks were a direct response to Republican Representative Thomas Massie, who told Bloomberg News he would “definitely” reintroduce articles of impeachment against Hegseth next week. “A disgruntled, defeated congressman, along with all his Democrat allies, has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly, just like they tried against President Trump twice,” Hegseth said in the video. He characterized the move as “political theater disguised as power” driven by an “obsession with… the politics of personal destruction.”

President Trump publicly backed Hegseth on Wednesday, telling reporters, “No, I think he’s doing a very good job,” when asked if he was considering a replacement. The statement came despite reports from CBS News that the president had been consulting advisers on Hegseth’s future following the midterm elections.

Democrats had previously signaled their intent to pursue Hegseth’s removal should they secure a House majority. “One of the first things we’re going to do in the majority, we’re going to run Pete Hegseth out of town,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a Pennsylvania rally in October, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Massie, a vocal critic of U.S. policy regarding Iran and Israel, initially filed impeachment articles in September. He accused Hegseth of abusing his office by executing an order to launch hostilities against Iran without congressional authorization. According to the Wall Street Journal, Massie planned to force an impeachment vote shortly after the House reconvenes on November 9.

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