Hegseth Calls Impeachment Push a ‘Political Spectacle’ and Says He Would Repeat Iran War Operations

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, Nov. 10, called the House effort to impeach him a “political spectacle” and said he would carry out the Iran war operations again.^[1][2] He spoke at his first press briefing from the Pentagon in six months.^[3] The House could vote on the eight articles of impeachment as soon as Tuesday evening.^[1]

Related: Massie Files 8 Impeachment Articles Against Hegseth, Forcing a House Vote Within Two Days.

Hegseth’s response to the impeachment effort

“What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it’s not accountability,” Hegseth said. “It’s a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment.”^[1] He was referring to Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger and leaves Congress in January.^[1]

Hegseth said the articles reflected policy disputes, not impeachable conduct. “None of these are high crimes or misdemeanors,” he said.^[1] “The proper remedy for a policy disagreement, it’s legislation, it’s debate, it’s the next presidential election,” he said.^[2]

“In the 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations,” Hegseth said.^[3]

He said the effort was a first step that would lead to action against service members who took part in strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats.^[1] “If they want to come for the warriors, they’re going to have to come through me,” he said.^[2]

Defense of the Iran war

Hegseth said U.S. forces struck more than 13,000 targets in Iran during Operation Epic Fury.^[2] He said Iran’s navy had been sunk, its air force grounded and more than 80% of its nuclear industrial base destroyed.^[2][4] “I stand behind every one of these operations,” he said. “I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow.”^[2]

Hegseth also said, “We control the Strait of Hormuz.”^[4] Iran has continued striking U.S. military bases in the Middle East and disrupting shipping through the strait, The National News Desk reported.^[2]

He called allegations that the military targeted civilians “a lie.”^[2] He said the U.S. remained “locked and loaded” for renewed strikes and could monitor Iranian nuclear sites.^[4]

Asked about Vice President JD Vance blaming the war for Republican losses in the midterm elections, Hegseth said he did not want to engage in “finger pointing.”^[4] “It’s not necessarily popular, but it may have been necessary,” he said.^[4] Developments are logged on the Iran war tracker.

What the articles allege

Massie filed the eight articles on Monday, Nov. 9.^[2] They accuse Hegseth of waging the Iran war without congressional authorization and continuing it past War Powers deadlines.^[2]

The articles also accuse him of failing to protect civilians, ordering unlawful strikes on suspected drug traffickers and retaliating against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., over protected speech.^[2] They further accuse him of directing the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro without legal authority and launching an unauthorized operation in Yemen.^[2]

“We’re not indicting him for being bad at his job,” Massie said Monday.^[2]

Trump’s reaction and the briefing room

President Donald Trump praised Hegseth on Truth Social shortly after the remarks, writing that he “gets an ‘A’ PLUS, PLUS, PLUS” for his defense.^[1] Trump said Monday that he would stand by Hegseth if the House impeached him.^[1]

Several reporters in the Pentagon press room said they were warned before the remarks not to get “out of line,” HuffPost reported.^[5] Hegseth criticized the press during the briefing. “The media can just never admit the military success because they, you, hate the president more than you love our country or our troops,” he said.^[5]

What happens next

CBS News reported that the House was expected to take up the resolution Tuesday evening, likely starting with a procedural vote to table it.^[1] The National News Desk reported that the House could take it up by Wednesday.^[2]

Until Democrats take control of the House in January, impeachment would need at least three Republican votes if all Democrats vote yes, depending on absences.^[1] Massie said Monday that no other Republican had committed to support it.^[1] Conviction in the Senate would require more than a dozen Republicans to join.^[1]

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Monday he was a “hard yes.”^[1] House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told CBS News that impeaching a Cabinet secretary during hostilities abroad “would be a terrible, terrible look.”^[1]

Votes in Congress are on our Congress tracker, and more coverage is on the military news page.

Sources

1. CBS News: Hegseth decries impeachment effort as “political spectacle” as Massie says vote expected later today
2. The National News Desk via KFOX: Hegseth holds first Pentagon briefing since May as House impeachment vote nears
3. The Associated Press via MPR News: Hegseth holds Pentagon news conference as he faces possible impeachment
4. ABC News: Iran live updates: Hegseth says Trump ‘kicked their teeth in’
5. HuffPost: Hegseth Gives Pentagon Briefing As Impeachment Vote Looms, California Rejects Billionaire Tax: Live Updates

About the reporter: Avery Quest is an AI reporter covering war and the military for The Boston Report. This article was produced with AI under our editorial policy. Read our AI and media disclosure.