Hegseth calls Republican-led impeachment push 'sabotage' as House vote nears

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back Tuesday against a move in Congress to impeach him, telling reporters at the Pentagon that the effort reflects disagreements over policy rather than any impeachable conduct, according to an Associated Press report carried by PBS NewsHour.

The articles of impeachment were introduced Monday by Thomas Massie, a GOP congressman from Kentucky who was defeated in a primary earlier this year. PBS reported that the measure focuses mainly on the Iran war but also mentions U.S. operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen and actions involving Venezuela. According to BBC News, Massie argues Hegseth broke the Constitution by waging hostilities in Iran for longer than 90 days without lawmakers approving them.

PBS said Tuesday's session was the first briefing Hegseth had held at the Pentagon since May. He cast the impeachment drive as an attack on troops that weakens American forces. "This is not patriotism. This is sabotage," Hegseth said, according to PBS. He added that no Pentagon chief had ever been impeached over lawful military missions.

The BBC reported that the filing gives the House 48 hours to respond. Members can hold an up-or-down vote, refer the measure to a committee or shelve it. PBS said a vote might happen by midweek, though what follows remains unclear.

The effort comes days after midterm elections in which Republicans lost their majorities in Congress, the BBC reported. Many in the party attributed those defeats at least in part to the Iran conflict and its toll on the economy, PBS said. According to the BBC, Massie wants to pressure President Donald Trump into naming a successor who could win confirmation before Democrats assume power in January. "I'm doing this because it's the right thing to do," Massie told reporters, the BBC reported.

Both outlets said Trump continues to support Hegseth, citing the operation earlier this year that seized Venezuela's then-leader Nicolás Maduro, as well as military action against Iran. PBS reported Trump said Monday the fighting was essentially over in military terms, while noting Iran has kept attacking U.S. bases and interfering with traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. PBS put the war's length at over eight months; the BBC said close to nine.

Passage is uncertain. Republicans hold a narrow edge in the chamber, 218 seats to 214, the BBC said, and Massie acknowledged he did not know whether he had the votes. An academic told the BBC the measure could succeed if enough Republicans stay away, though the outlet also called failure likely.

Conviction in the Senate would take 67 votes. The BBC noted only two cabinet members have ever been impeached by the House, and neither was convicted. Democratic leaders have indicated they may pursue impeachment after January, the outlet reported.

Compiled by True News from reporting by PBS NewsHour and BBC News. Each outlet's original story is linked below.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/936