President Donald Trump said he would support Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if lawmakers pursue impeachment, criticizing Rep. Thomas Massie for introducing a resolution to begin proceedings. (Foto: Instagram)
President Donald Trump said Monday, Nov. 9, that he would support Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if lawmakers pursue impeachment. The pledge came after Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced a resolution seeking to begin proceedings against Hegseth, amid criticism of the administration’s handling of U.S. military operations.
Asked whether he would stand by Hegseth, Trump said he would. He also criticized Massie, calling him a “total loser” and accusing him of harboring hatred. Trump questioned why Hegseth should face impeachment, arguing that the United States had won two wars and made the world safer.
Trump praised Hegseth’s performance and cited U.S. military operations in Venezuela and Iran. He said Hegseth had “won the war in Venezuela” and described as “flawless” the operation that resulted in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Regarding the Middle East conflict, Trump said Hegseth was winning the war in Iran.
The president also compared scrutiny of Hegseth with the tenure of Lloyd Austin, who served as defense secretary under former President Joe Biden. Trump referred to Austin’s hospitalization between late 2023 and early 2024, when Austin was temporarily absent from his duties and the public was not informed immediately. Trump questioned why Austin had not faced impeachment over the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other conflicts in which thousands of lives were lost.
Massie’s resolution seeks to initiate impeachment proceedings against Hegseth as criticism grows over the conduct of the war with Iran. The move also comes as members of Trump’s administration face pressure following Republican losses in the midterm elections. Under the resolution, the House of Representatives is to consider the proposal by Wednesday, Nov. 11.
The Iran conflict became a major source of political strain for the Trump administration during the elections. Rising prices for fuel, air travel and other goods put pressure on household budgets and added to dissatisfaction with the White House’s economic policy. Trump acknowledged that the war affected the election outcome, particularly because of higher fuel prices, but said he would make the decision to launch the offensive again. Vice President JD Vance also cited the conflict as one factor behind the Republicans’ poor performance.
Earlier Monday, Hegseth played down the prospect of impeachment and said he was not concerned about criticism of his leadership. He characterized some critics as politically motivated and said their objections were directed at the administration’s success. Hegseth added that his team was not worried about the criticism, saying he had given troops the same message: not to be distracted by the noise.
