Hegseth strikes defiant tone, calls House impeachment process 'farce'

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth arrives to a news conference at the Pentagon on Nov. 10, 2026, in Arlington, Virginia. — Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images WASHINGTON — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth struck a defiant tone on Tuesday, vowing to fight charges of impeachment raised against him in Congress a day prior by outgoing Republican lawmaker from Kentucky Thomas Massie."It's a farce and it's a stunt, and everybody knows it," Hegseth said in his first press briefing from the Pentagon since May."No Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations," Hegseth argued. "Not once — war powers resolution or not — not under Reagan in Lebanon, not under Clinton in Kosovo, not under Obama in Iraq and Syria, not under Biden in Iraq and Syria. That's the standard," he stated.Massie introduced the eight articles of impeachment on the House floor on Monday, setting up a vote by Wednesday.The charges include three violations of the 1973 War Powers Act of prosecuting a war unauthorized by Congress as well as "extrajudicial killings" in the Caribbean and "ignoring laws" meant to prevent civilian casualties in the war against Iran.If a majority of House lawmakers vote to pass the impeachment articles, they will be taken up in the Senate and carry over into the next Congress in January.House Republican leadership may yet move to table Massie's motion or refer it to committee. Either decision could effectively shelve the impeachment effort for the remaining legislative days before the new Congress takes its seats in January.This is a developing story and will be updated. This one's on us. The story doesn't end here. Our correspondents are already on the next chapter. Read everything they file, from $2/week. Related Topics