Hegseth faces floor vote as Trump calls impeachment a loser's game
The president defended the defense secretary with two military victories cited as evidence against the Kentucky Republican's push.
By Adrian Kovalenko ·
President Trump attacked the impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, calling the lead sponsor a total loser. The confrontation unfolded after Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky read articles of impeachment targeting Hegseth on the House floor shortly after 2 p.m. EST. Massie fulfilled a promise to formally bring the articles to the chamber, marking the first step in a process that requires a majority vote.
In a Truth Social post, Trump described Hegseth as the most popular and successful military official in the country. He pointed to recruitment numbers reaching an all-time high and cited two specific victories in Venezuela and Iran as proof of Hegseth's success. The president urged Congress to stand up for the secretary, arguing he should be praised rather than impeached.
Hegseth responded earlier in the day by saying he was not worried about the effort. He announced a press conference for the following morning to address the articles directly. This statement came as the House moved forward with the procedural steps initiated by Massie.
The move follows a weekend in which Trump criticized Democrats for threatening Republican officials with impeachment. He labeled the threats extortion at the highest level and requested the Department of Justice investigate the actions. The president noted that Democrats admitted they had no reason for the process and that no impeachable acts had been committed by the targeted officials.
Democrats locked down control of the House and Senate in this year's midterms, with the party set to take control of both chambers in January. Massie's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the timing of the floor vote.
