War Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at his critics on Tuesday as the U.S. House moved closer to impeaching President Donald Trump’s top Cabinet officials.
“What a disgruntled and failed member of Congress is trying to do is not oversight, and it is not accountability. This is a political spectacle and a personal statement driven by ego and resentment,” Hegseth said at a news conference Tuesday morning.
On Monday, outgoing Congressman Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) filed eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth, charging him with “high crimes and misdemeanors” over his handling of the Iran war, U.S. military operations in Yemen and the Caribbean, the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the Pentagon’s scrutiny of Sen. Mark Kelly. Massie introduced the provisions as a privileged resolution giving House leadership two legislative days to introduce the measure for action, The Daily Telegraph previously reported.
Hegseth defended his record in the Trump administration and argued that a successful impeachment effort would endanger national security.
“This shows that Congress will put a target on the backs of the American warfighter by undermining their mission in real time,” he said. “This is not patriotism. This is sabotage.”
Massie, who lost a primary to Trump-backed challenger and eventual general election winner Ed Gallrein earlier this year, will leave Congress in January. His impeachment effort is one of his last major confrontations with an administration he has repeatedly challenged.
Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz warned that “the votes are already there” to impeach Hegers.
“Either Hegseth steps down, or he resigns voluntarily, or Trump fires him, or, if that doesn’t happen, I think it’s highly likely, if not certain, that the House will impeach him because, ostensibly, the votes are in place,” Cruz said on Monday.
This is a developing story; please follow The Telegraph for the latest updates.