Hegseth calls impeachment motion a 'political show'; Trump gives him 'A+'

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday (local time) rebuffed the House impeachment vote against him as a "political show."

Speaking at a press conference at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, Hegseth said what "one disgruntled, defeated congressman is attempting" was "not congressional oversight" and "not accountability."

The "defeated congressman" Hegseth referred to is Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who reintroduced the impeachment motion on Tuesday. Massie had clashed with President Donald Trump and lost his House primary in May.

Massie's articles of impeachment accuse Hegseth of waging war against Iran without following legal procedures, unlawfully abducting then-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro through a military operation, and killing civilians during a mission to sink suspected drug-trafficking vessels in Latin America.

Hegseth dismissed the motion as "one person using his last days in Congress to try to damage this president, this country, and most recklessly, the warriors who defend it." He added that in 250 years of American history, no secretary of war or defense had ever been impeached for carrying out a lawful military operation — "and in our case, a successful one."

On the Iran war cited as grounds for impeachment, Hegseth said it was "something that had to be done," adding — echoing Secretary of State Marco Rubio's words — that it "may not have been the most popular decision, but it was the necessary one."

Asked about Vice President JD Vance's suggestion that the Iran war contributed to the midterm election losses, Hegseth said he had "great respect for the vice president" and had no interest in a blame game. He also insisted that Maduro had not been abducted but "brought to justice through the greatest victory America has achieved in 48 minutes overnight." He called allegations that US forces had targeted civilians in the Latin American vessel-sinking operation "slander" and rebuffed the other impeachment charges as well.

"The essence of this is policy disagreement — not high crimes, not misdemeanors, not treason, not bribery," Hegseth said. "The appropriate way to resolve policy disagreements is through legislation, debate and the next presidential election."

He went on to say that with Republicans still controlling Congress and needing to deliver results for the American people, the motion amounted to handing the House and Senate floors to Democrats "to stage a political show trial against the president and the secretary of defense."

Hegseth also invoked the two impeachment motions brought against Trump during his first term, saying, "They will fail again. And if I'm put in the same place as President Trump for standing with him, I'll take that any day."

The House is set to vote on the impeachment motion by Wednesday. A simple majority is required for passage, making approval likely. Removing Hegseth from office would require a two-thirds majority of senators present at a Senate trial.

Hegseth said he had been in contact with House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican lawmakers ahead of the vote, and that there was strong support among them. "They don't want to vote yes on something that has no merit," he said.

Trump praised Hegseth on Truth Social shortly after the press conference, writing "well done" and giving him "A plus, plus, plus." Trump had also defended Hegseth on Tuesday, asking, "What did he do wrong?"

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Paris, also backed Hegseth, saying all the actions cited in the impeachment articles were lawful. Rubio said Hegseth had "not only carried out the direct orders of the commander in chief, but accomplished the mission very effectively on every front."