US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday (November 10) called moves to impeach him over alleged abuse of power in the Iran war 'a farce' that would fail.

Hegseth made the comment at a news conference a day after US Representative Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, introduced eight articles of impeachment against him.

"What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight and it's not accountability," Hegseth said. "It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment timed for one man's final days in Congress to try to do damage to this president, this country, and most irresponsibly, the warriors who defend it. It's farce and it is a stunt, and everybody knows it."

In his first Pentagon news conference since May, Hegseth said attempts to impeach President Donald Trump had failed and added: "They will fail again."

"This is not patriotism. This is sabotage," he said.

In a post on X, Massie said the House would hold a first vote on Tuesday on a procedural motion to kill the resolution. "If we can overcome that effort, we will proceed to a real debate and vote on the Articles of Impeachment," he said.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 10, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE AND SAYING:

"What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight and it's not accountability. It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment timed for one man's final days in Congress to try to do damage to this president, this country, and most irresponsibly, the warriors who defend it. It's farce and it is a stunt, and everybody knows it."

2. WIDE VIEW OF HEGSETH AT NEWS CONFERENCE

3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH, SAYING:

"Let's be clear about what this resolution actually does. It tells our enemies, Iran, the cartels, every adversary watching that the United States will actually punish its own warriors and its own civilian leadership for successfully executing lawful military operations. It tells them that a single rogue legislator loaded with personal animus for the president can attempt to veto national security decisions made by. The duly elected commander in chief. It puts a target on the backs of American warriors by signaling that Congress will undermine their missions in real time. This is not patriotism. This is sabotage."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH, SAYING:

"As to the claim that the American military targets civilians, well, that is a lie and that is slander against every professional who flew, sailed, and fought on these missions. The only people who target civilians are the terrorists that we hunt, and I will dignify this claim no further. None of these are high crimes or misdemeanors. They're partisan policy disagreements from people who want to politicize our military. We will not apologize for putting American lives first. We will not apologize for stopping the flow of drugs that kill our citizens. We will not apologize for destroying the capabilities of a regime that chants 'death to America'. And if that regime makes one wrong move, as the president said, we remain locked and loaded with the full weight and lethality of central command."

6. WIDE VIEW OF HEGSETH AT NEWS CONFERENCE

7. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH, SAYING:

"I pray each day, and I hope you do too, for our troops. They are the best of our nation. Like the president, I will defend them with every fiber of my being every single day. That includes having their back, no matter what. So to the troops, as I've said before, don't blink, ignore the noise, never hesitate. This is all politics. You do real things, stay the course. May Almighty God protect them always. And may our actions today and every day bring glory to him. We will stand, we will fight, and we will defend this republic against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And amen."

8. HEGSETH LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE