WorldPosted at: Nov 10 2026 11:42PM


US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth dismisses impeachment bid as political stunt; Vice President JD Vance extends support

Washington, Nov 10 (UNI) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has dismissed efforts to impeach him as a political stunt, accusing Republican Representative Thomas Massie of pursuing a personal vendetta, while Vice-President JD Vance has defended the embattled Pentagon chief and rejected claims that the move is primarily about the war with Iran.
Speaking at a rare Pentagon briefing on Tuesday, Hegseth described the impeachment resolution introduced by Massie as a "farce" and "a stunt", arguing that no defence secretary had ever been impeached for conducting what he called lawful military operations.
"One disgruntled and defeated congressman" was attempting to use impeachment for reasons of "ego and resentment", he said, referring to the Kentucky Republican.
Hegseth compared the effort to the two previous impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, arguing that both had failed and ultimately strengthened the president.
He warned that the resolution would send a damaging message to US adversaries, including Iran and drug cartels, by suggesting that American military personnel and civilian leaders could face punishment for carrying out authorised operations.
"This is not patriotism. This is sabotage," he said.
Much of the briefing focused on defending the Trump administration's military campaigns, particularly Operation Epic Fury, the joint US-Israeli war against Iran, which Hegseth described as a historic victory.
He outlined operations against Iran's navy, air force and nuclear facilities, claiming that the country's military capabilities had been devastated.
Hegseth argued that the conflict had not been initiated by Washington, saying: "Iran started it 47 years ago."
He praised Trump for taking what he described as the necessary action to protect American security.
"He did not kick the can, he kicked their teeth in," Hegseth said.
The defence secretary also defended the administration's military operations against alleged drug traffickers, claiming that American forces had disrupted networks involved in human smuggling and narcotics trafficking.
"Thousands of American lives were saved with every drug boat sunk, and every shipment prevented," he said.
He also rejected descriptions of the US operation that removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power on January 3 as being a kidnapping, arguing that Maduro had been brought to justice by American forces. Maduro was subsequently transferred to New York, where he faces charges on alleged drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, and torture among others, to all of which he has pleaded not guilty.
"Victory in one night, victory in 48 minutes to be precise," Hegseth said.
He maintained that all the military operations had been legally authorised by Trump, communicated to Congress and carried out by American personnel.
"Every one was a lawful operation, ordered by the commander in chief, then ordered by myself, notified to Congress and executed by American warriors who did their job," he said.
He argued that the operations did not constitute "high crimes" but were a "job well done".
Hegseth also criticised media coverage, accusing journalists of refusing to acknowledge military successes because they disliked Trump more than they supported the US and its armed forces.
He said the impeachment proceedings would hand America's adversaries a propaganda victory and waste congressional time.
"This is not about me," he said, warning that if the defence secretary were put on trial, military personnel could face similar scrutiny in the future.
"If they want to come for the warriors, they are going to have to come through me," he added.
Addressing US troops, Hegseth urged them to disregard the political controversy and remain focused on their duties.
"Don't blink, ignore the noise, never hesitate. This is all politics. You do real things. Stay the course," he said.
Asked whether he had contacted lawmakers to persuade them to oppose impeachment, Hegseth said he maintained strong relationships with Republicans in the House and had received considerable support.
"This is one disgruntled guy that drew up some very flimsy articles," he said of Massie.
He added that he regularly briefed lawmakers from both parties and would continue doing so when Democrats take control of the House in January.
Hegseth also declined to engage in disagreements over the political consequences of the Iran war, after Vance suggested last week that the conflict had contributed significantly to Republican losses in the midterm elections.
"I respect JD Vance, I'm not going to get into finger pointing," he said, adding that his priority was ensuring the military remained prepared.
He said the administration would assess the lessons from the conflict but stood by the decision to launch it.
"If we had to do it all over again, we would," he said, arguing that the operation had been necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Vance separately defended the defence secretary on Tuesday, arguing that the impeachment effort was not primarily about the Iran war but about Hegseth's attempts to challenge the Pentagon establishment.
"Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes? The question is absurd and the answer is: obviously not," Vance wrote on X.
He described impeachment as a political spectacle that had increasingly replaced substantive policymaking, arguing that Congress had other mechanisms for expressing disagreements with the administration.
"Legislation is hard. Impeachments are easy (and ultimately, inconsequential)," he said.
Vance acknowledged that three of the eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth concerned the Iran war, while other allegations involved the administration's military actions in Venezuela and Yemen.
However, he argued that lawmakers were particularly hostile to Hegseth over his restructuring of the Pentagon and changes to America's military posture.
"The irony is that legislators are most angry at Pete on the issues where he's most correct: repositioning forces away from Europe/Ukraine and reorganizing the general officer corps," Vance said.
"This isn't about Iran, this is about the fact that Pete took on the bureaucracy at the Pentagon."
The impeachment resolution, introduced by Massie, accuses Hegseth of launching military operations without congressional approval, disregarding laws intended to minimise civilian casualties and retaliating against Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, among other allegations.
Its prospects remain uncertain, with Massie previously saying he had not secured commitments from other Republicans to support the measure. The administration has continued to defend Hegseth, with Trump describing the impeachment effort as politically motivated and pledging to stand by his defence secretary.
UNI ANV RN
Tags: #US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth dismisses impeachment bid as political stunt; Vice President JD Vance extends support
More News

El Salvador rebukes US diplomat over Salvadoran military operations in Haiti amid rising tensions with Washington

10 Nov 2026 | 9:32 PM

San Salvador, Nov 10 (UNI) El Salvador has publicly challenged the credibility of the top US diplomat in Haiti after Washington raised objections to Salvadoran military operations against gangs, exposing tensions between President Donald Trump's support for the campaign and concerns within the US State Department over its execution.

see more..

Iran urges US to accept its conditions of reopening Strait of Hormuz, says war won't be resolved militarily

10 Nov 2026 | 9:00 PM

Tehran, Nov 10 (UNI) Iran has urged the US to accept its conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, as diplomatic efforts to end the eight-month war in West Asia intensify and President Donald Trump signals progress towards a possible agreement.

see more..

Russia and Ukraine demonstrate ‘flexibility’ in talks regarding disputed territory ahead of Abu Dhabi talks

10 Nov 2026 | 8:19 PM

Moscow/Kyiv, Nov 10 (UNI) Russia and Ukraine have privately demonstrated “a little bit of flexibility” over disputed territory, according to a senior US official, as a new round of negotiations aimed at ending Moscow’s war against Kyiv began in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.

see more..

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth faces impeachment vote, prepares for rare press briefing

10 Nov 2026 | 7:45 PM

Washington, Nov 10 (UNI) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing a potential impeachment vote in the House of Representatives this week, as he prepares to hold a rare Pentagon news briefing amid growing political scrutiny over his handling of the war with Iran.

see more..

Hegseth dismisses impeachment push as 'political spectacle', defends US war on Iran

10 Nov 2026 | 7:32 PM

Washington, Nov 10 (UNI) Dismissing an impeachment effort against him as a "political spectacle" and "a stunt",US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the Trump administration's military campaign against Iran as necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

see more..