Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday dismissed a new effort by the House of Representatives to introduce articles of impeachment as early as next week.
“A disgruntled, defeated member of Congress, and all of his Democratic allies, have also given up on real articles of impeachment against you, just as they twice tried against President Trump,” Hegseth said in a video on social media.
Hegseth was referring to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who said Wednesday he plans to reintroduce articles of impeachment when the House reconvenes. Lawmakers are scheduled to return to Washington on Monday.
“It’s all about the politics of personal destruction,” Hegseth added. “That’s not going to work for President Trump, and it’s not going to work for me. You can rest assured of that.”
In the more than five-minute video, Hegseth touches only briefly on the Iran war, the impetus behind his impeachment, and the Republican losses in this week’s midterm elections.
Massey, who lost the Republican primary against Trump, urged Trump on Thursday to replace Hegseth while he still holds the Senate majority.
“My Heggs impeachment resolution is a moderate version of what it would be like if Democrats controlled Congress. They would have hearings and trials,” he said on the X show.
“There is one contingency in which I will not reintroduce articles of impeachment: Hegseth resigns,” Massie wrote Wednesday.
Since his victory in the midterm elections, many Democrats have expressed a desire to oust Hegseth, including New York House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is poised to become the next speaker.
Trump said on Wednesday he had no plans to replace Hegseth, who he said Thursday had “done a great job” and “may object” to actions he takes, including purging military leadership.
Two people familiar with the matter told NBC News this week that Trump has told some allies that he is considering replacing Hegseth and asked them who they think should succeed him. Just days before department heads were sacked, he had insisted he would not consider firing them.
Massie tried to get a vote to impeach Hegseth in September, but his efforts were stymied when House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, sent the chamber home early.
He would need a few Republicans to join all Democrats in supporting the impeachment measure to succeed.
The House has impeached only two Cabinet officials in its history — former President Joe Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on party-line votes, and William Belknap, the war secretary in the 1870s. No cabinet member has been convicted by the Senate.