Trump tells Congress ‘stand up for Pete!’ over Hegseth impeachment threat

President Donald Trump has called on Republicans in Congress to “stand up for” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was hit with articles of impeachment Monday over his prosecution of the Iran war.Rebel Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie accused Hegseth of “high crimes and misdemeanors” in waging the war despite there being “no declaration of war, statutory authorization, attack on the United States, or imminent threat” and of carrying out extrajudicial killings in the Caribbean by bombing alleged drug boats.Massie’s impeachment resolution started the clock on a two-day deadline for a vote to take place in the House of Representatives. Should it come to pass – rather than be referred to the House Judiciary Committee – and ultimately prevail, the matter would proceed to the Senate for a trial. Republicans hold majorities in both chambers until January when they come under Democratic control but many have admitted that the unpopular war and its consequences cost their party at last week’s midterms elections and may be tempted to hold the secretary accountable.Responding angrily to Monday’s developments on Truth Social, the president wrote: “Defeated Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, a total loser, is trying to Impeach perhaps the most popular and successful military official in the Country, Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth.President Donald Trump has called on congressional Republicans to back Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after he has hit with articles of impeachment Monday (AP)“With recruitment at an ALL-TIME HIGH, from an all-time low under Sleepy Joe Biden, and TWO VICTORIES, Venezuela and Iran, Pete Hegseth should be praised, not Impeached. Congress, stand up for Pete!!!”Earlier Monday, Trump had made a surprise appearance in the White House’s James S Brady Briefing Room, alongside UFC impresario Dana White, whom he had “jokingly” offered the vacant post of press secretary. During their joint appearance, the president told the press corps that Massie is a “stone-cold loser” and insisted Hegseth is “winning the war,” which is now dragging on into its ninth month with no peace deal in sight.“He’s certainly winning the war,” Trump said of his secretary. “Iran would love to make a deal, and they’ve been obliterated.”Hegseth himself also spoke out during an appearance at the Naval War College in Rhode Island Monday, declaring: “If you want to take issue with what we did in [Operations] Epic Fury or Rough Rider or nabbing Nicolas Maduro, you’re taking issue with the troops and what they accomplished, which is historic.”Rebel Kentucky GOP Rep. Thomas Massie accused Hegseth of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ over his conduct of the Iran war and the extrajudicial killings of alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean (Getty)“There’s a lot of politically-motivated people who may have substantial policy disagreements, but their disagreements are with success,” he added, insisting he was happy to “litigate” the administration’s military decisions “all day long.”“My team, we’re not worried about the noise – it’s what I told the troops, too – ‘don’t worry about the noise,’” Hegseth said, alluding to a six-minute social media video he issued last week attacking his critics. The secretary also revealed plans to hold a press briefing at 8 a.m. ET (1 p.m. GMT) Tuesday addressing the impeachment resolution – his first news conference in 180 days, despite his becoming known in the first weeks of the conflict for sparring with reporters at the Pentagon as he delivered updates on the airstrikes. For his part, Massie appeared on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins late Monday and was dismissive of Trump’s attacks on him, saying it was “not a popularity contest” and that he did not dispute the president’s contention that Hegseth had been “effective” at his job.“In some aspect, he has been effective,” Massie said. “And that’s what we’re impeaching him for, his effectiveness in breaking the law and violating the Constitution.”Outgoing House Speaker Mike Johnson insisting impeaching Hegseth in the middle of hostilities was ‘a terrible, terrible look’ that would weaken American prestige abroad (Getty)The congressman said he did not believe Hegseth would make it to the end of the year without being forced out or resigning and warned him that the Democrat-led Congress coming in January would not be as “polite” as he had been.Before Massie played his hand Monday, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries had said he was a “hard yes” on impeaching Hegseth, signaling that he expected his party to follow suit. Opposing Massie’s resolution in the chamber, outgoing Republican speaker Mike Johnson argued against it by saying: “Impeaching a Cabinet secretary right now, especially the Department of War in the middle of hostilities abroad would be a terrible, terrible look, a terrible thing for our allies and our enemies to see that.“We don’t impeach Cabinet secretaries for political gain or for cheap tricks, and I think that’s what this is and I think everybody knows it.”However, two unnamed former Trump administration officials subsequently told The Washington Post there “appears to be little appetite for spending significant political capital on a protracted defense of Hegseth” within the White House, where Stephen Miller has just succeeded Susie Wiles as Trump’s chief of staff. Another insider told the newspaper that Miller will be focused on the president’s agenda, not defending individuals.“Miller knows the Senate very well, and unlike Pete, he knows where the limits are,” they said. “He knows that they need to get stuff done, and as chief of staff, this isn’t the hill they want to die on.”