U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has described the effort to remove him from office as a “political spectacle” and a personal campaign driven by ego and resentment.
In defending himself against the initiative, Hegseth referred to past U.S. military interventions, including the intervention in Kosovo, arguing that no American defense secretary had ever been removed from office over such military operations.
“Not once, with or without a War Powers Resolution. Not under Reagan in Lebanon, not under Clinton in Kosovo, not under Obama in Iraq and Syria, and not under Biden in Iraq and Syria. That is the standard. No one has ever been removed,” Hegseth said.
Speaking at a press conference at the Pentagon, he also criticised Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, describing him as a defeated and dissatisfied lawmaker who, according to Hegseth, was not conducting meaningful oversight.
Massie submitted eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Monday. Earlier this year, he had also lost a Republican primary election.
Hegseth defended his record, saying he had overseen lawful and successful military operations and reiterating that no defense secretary had previously been removed over such actions.
The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to hold a procedural vote on Tuesday, which could indicate how many Republicans are willing to break ranks with Hegseth.
The vote represents the first step in the process and will determine whether the House proceeds with consideration of the impeachment articles or whether Republican leadership manages to block the initiative before it reaches a vote by lawmakers.
