A day before Veterans Day, War Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday condemned the effort to impeach him as a “farce” and an offense to American troops on the eve of the commemorative day for military members, championing the Iran war and other U.S. military operations as lawful and effective.
According to Newsmax, Hegseth, speaking at a rare Pentagon news briefing, said 18 Americans perished during Operation Epic Fury; he accused lawmakers of dogging his impeachment and of fault-finding service members who did the administration’s orders.
“We know their names. I’ve been to Dover. We honor them every day. But their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve,” he said.
Hegseth’s comments came one day after Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., introduced eight updated articles of impeachment, blasting Hegseth for carrying out military operations against Iran without congressional authorization, ignoring laws intended to protect civilians, and striking back against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., among other allegations.
On X, Massie posted that the House would vote first on a procedural motion intended to block the resolution, potentially by referring it to a committee.
“If we can overcome that effort, we will proceed to a real debate and vote on the Articles of Impeachment,” Massie said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on articles of impeachment: "These resolutions are a farce. They mock the Constitution, they attack the chain of command, and they criminalize the warfighters who execute lawful orders." https://t.co/PoUUkMpiEk
— CSPAN (@cspan) November 10, 2026
The backlash against Hegseth and an impeachment push gained momentum after sweeping Republican midterm losses that lawmakers from both parties have blamed in part to the Iran war and soaring energy prices.
Still, in his defense Hegseth, who is an Army veteran, invoked Veterans Day and defended troops involved in operations against Iran, Yemen’s Houthi militants, and former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
“Their service was not a crime. These are heroes, and no politician in Washington will tell them otherwise. While I hold this office,” he said.
The War Secretary held that the operations were commanded by President Donald Trump, communicated to Congress, and carried out legally. He said he would execute them again and rejected allegations that American forces target civilians.
“As to the claim that the American military targets civilians, well, that is a lie. And that is a slander against every professional who flew, sailed, and fought on these missions,” he said.
