Trump hails defeat of Hegseth impeachment push and calls Massie 'a major LOSER'

Hegseth, at first Pentagon briefing in six months, brands the effort ‘sabotage’

President Donald Trump celebrated the defeat of the impeachment measure against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, calling its sponsor, Rep. Thomas Massie, “a major LOSER” in a post on Truth Social. “Again, Victories in Venezuela and Iran, the Best Recruitment Numbers in the History of the Military (Long waiting lists to get in!), and Spirit like rarely seen before, led to the EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot,” Trump wrote, referring to Hegseth.

Earlier in the day, in his first news briefing from the Pentagon in six months, Hegseth called the impeachment effort a “farce” and “sabotage”, and described efforts to impeach him as a political stunt by a Trump administration opponent who was “disgruntled and defeated”.

Hegseth argued that Massie’s resolution endangered national security because it communicated to US adversaries “that the United States will actually punish its own warriors and its own civilian leadership for successfully executing lawful military operations”. “This is not patriotism. This is sabotage,” he said. Hegseth said Massie was motivated by policy differences and “not high crimes, not misdemeanours, not treason, not bribery, not the kinds of offences the founders intended when they wrote the impeachment clause”. Hegseth echoed statements Trump made during a surprise appearance at the White House briefing room on Monday, including touting a rise in military recruitment levels.

While Hegseth has survived politically for now, many lawmakers, including some Republicans, have questioned how long he can last in the administration. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, said on Tuesday that he expected Hegseth to resign or be fired by Trump.

The House voted 211-204 on Tuesday to refer the eight articles of impeachment to the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee, a move that effectively kills Massie’s effort for now. Massie was the only Republican to vote against the referral, and more than a dozen members, including 11 Democrats, missed the vote. Every voting Republican except Massie backed the referral, and House Speaker Mike Johnson had predicted earlier in the day that the bid would fail. The effort was seen as a long shot that would have required a number of other Republicans to defy President Donald Trump.

Massie formally introduced the eight articles of impeachment in the House on Monday. In them, he said Hegseth was “breaking the law and must be held accountable” for fighting a war in Iran for more than 90 days without lawmakers’ approval. The articles also accused Hegseth of overseeing “extrajudicial killings” in the US campaign against boats alleged to be carrying drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Massie had previously acknowledged his impeachment bid may not succeed immediately. He argued the bid could push Trump to replace Hegseth before Democrats can launch their own impeachment process, and that removing Hegseth now would give the Senate time to approve a replacement while Republicans were still in power. Massie also noted that impeachment resolutions can be carried past the end of a congressional term, meaning Democrats would be able to take the measure up next year. Democrats will take control of both chambers of Congress in January following a successful midterm election.

Massie, a Kentucky Republican who lost re-election earlier this year to a Trump-backed opponent, has been critical of Trump and the war in Iran since it began in February. He had already drawn the president’s ire for demanding the Trump administration release files on deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.