Trump stands by embattled Hegseth after Republican launches bid to impeach US defence chief

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump on Nov 9 threw his support behind embattled US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, declaring he had done “good job” and had “won” wars in Venezuela and Iran.

Hours after a Republican lawmaker moved to impeach Hegseth on Nov 10, Trump defended Hegseth at a White House press briefing, saying: “Yeah, I’ll stand by him... He won two wars. He was in charge.”

Trump was speaking after a Republican lawmaker moved on Nov 9 to impeach Hegseth over the war in Iran, setting up a potentially explosive vote in Congress just days after President Donald Trump’s party suffered a crushing midterm defeat.

Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment accusing Hegseth of illegally waging war without congressional authorisation and abusing his powers as Pentagon chief.

The Republican-controlled House could vote as early as Nov 11, with some lawmakers from Trump’s party signalling that they might join Democrats in backing those charges.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio came to Hegseth’s defence on Nov 9 while visiting Paris.

“I think it’s unfair. Look, I think Pete’s done a good job, I really do,” Rubio told reporters, praising his colleague as hardworking and “incredibly smart.”

Rubio credited Hegseth with helping build counter-cartel partnerships in the Americas, severely weakening Iran’s military and overseeing the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Impeachment would be a humiliating blow for Hegseth and the Trump administration, but would not automatically remove him from office.

That would require a trial and conviction by a two-thirds majority in the Senate – a far higher hurdle, even after Democrats take control of the chamber in January.

The impeachment push has gathered momentum since the Nov 3 midterm elections, when Democrats swept both chambers of Congress amid widespread anger over the Iran war and soaring fuel prices.

Republicans retain control of Congress until the newly elected lawmakers take office on Jan 3, but their overwhelming defeat has fuelled recriminations and weakened party discipline.

Some Republican lawmakers who lost their seats could also skip votes, potentially making it easier for the impeachment measure to pass.

‘Hard yes’

Massie, an outspoken critic of Trump who lost his own primary to a candidate backed by the president, is using a special congressional procedure to force the House to consider his resolution within two legislative days.

He said Hegseth had “knowingly executed and implemented unlawful orders” by starting a war without seeking authorisation from Congress, as he read the articles of impeachment on the House floor.

The articles accuse Hegseth of violating the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which limits the president’s ability to engage US forces in hostilities without congressional approval.

They also allege misconduct involving civilian casualties and military operations in Yemen and Venezuela.

The Pentagon has rejected the accusations.

Democratic House leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is expected to become speaker in January, threw his weight behind impeachment on Nov 8.

“I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,” Jeffries told ABC News.

“The so-called secretary of defense has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran,” he said.

“Pete Hegseth has got to go.”

Unlikely removal

Several Republicans have expressed dissatisfaction with Hegseth’s leadership without committing to impeaching him.

Arkansas congressman French Hill said on Nov 8 he wanted to hear the debate before deciding whether the accusations justified impeachment.

Under the US Constitution, the House can impeach a senior government official by a simple majority vote, effectively bringing formal charges of serious misconduct.

The Senate then decides whether to convict and remove the official from office, requiring support from two-thirds of senators present.

Even with their enlarged majority in 2027, Democrats would need substantial Republican backing to reach that threshold. Only two Cabinet secretaries – almost 150 years apart – have been impeached in US history, and neither was removed by the Senate.

Hegseth has dismissed Massie’s impeachment effort as a “sham,” calling the congressman “disgruntled” and accusing his opponents of pursuing political destruction.

The Pentagon announced a rare press briefing by Hegseth scheduled for Nov 10.

Trump has publicly stood by his embattled defence chief, declaring last week: “I have every intention to keep him.”

House Republican Don Bacon said he was uncomfortable with Massie’s reasoning but argued that Hegseth should be impeached for withholding aid allocated to Ukraine and forcing out or blocking promotions for around 80 admirals and generals, an estimated 10 percent of the senior officer corps.

“And I’m not the only one feels this,” he told CNN, urging Hegseth to resign. “There’s a bunch of us have been talking about it.” AFP