WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth battled his potential impeachment in Congress on Tuesday, telling reporters that a rogue lawmaker targeted him over “policy differences” rather than the high crimes or violations intended by America’s founders.
Watch Hegseth’s press conference in the video player above.
watch: Rep. Massie speaks after submitting Heggs impeachment resolution
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It was Hegseth’s first briefing since May, even as the U.S. military has carried out on-and-off operations against Iran and deadly strikes on vessels suspected of drug smuggling in Latin America.
watch: As impeachment vote looms, Hegseth speaks at Naval War College
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who lost a primary to a Trump-backed opponent, introduced an impeachment resolution in the House on Monday. Republicans’ heavy losses in last week’s midterm elections, which many blamed at least in part on the Iran conflict and its economic fallout, set the stage for a dramatic vote on whether to oust a key figure in the Trump administration.
The resolution focuses primarily on the Iran war, but also mentions Hergseth’s role in military operations in Yemen against Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Venezuela. Massie said Hegers’ actions constituted “high crimes and misdemeanors” and that his leadership at the Pentagon was “worthy of impeachment.”
What constitutes “high crimes and misdemeanors” is not spelled out in the Constitution, leaving it up to lawmakers to decide what constitutes impeachable conduct. A possible midweek vote in the House would put pressure on Republicans — many of whom blame the election defeat on the war with Iran — but the next steps are highly uncertain.
At a news conference, Hegseth described the impeachment effort as an indictment of American service members and their successes while weakening the U.S. military “in real time.”
“This is not patriotism,” Hegseth said. “This is sabotage.”
Massey’s efforts, Heggs said, “send to our enemies — Iran, the cartels, every adversary that’s watching — that the United States will actually punish its own warriors and civilian leaders for successfully conducting legitimate military operations.”
During a press conference on Monday, President Donald Trump addressed the impeachment threat against his defense secretary. Watch his remarks in the player above.
However, during the more than eight-month conflict, Iran was able to continue to attack U.S. military bases in the Middle East and disrupt shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, pushing up global oil prices. Trump told reporters on Monday that the war with Iran is “effectively over militarily” and reiterated his oft-made assertion that Iran is “willing to make a deal.”
Hegers has also been defending his authority to run the U.S. military.
“There are a lot of politically motivated people who may have significant disagreements on policy, but their disagreements are successful,” he told reporters after a speech Monday at the Naval War College in Rhode Island. He added, “If we wanted to litigate military actions taken by the Trump administration, I would be happy to do that all day long.”
Dozens of Pentagon political appointees later posted a photo of Hegseth with the words “Stand and Fight to Defend the Republic.”
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