Embattled Pentagon chief slams impeachment 'farce'

Résumé détaillé

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday denounced a push to impeach him as a "farce" and defended his record leading the Iran war and other military operations under…

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday denounced a push to impeach him as a "farce" and defended his record leading the Iran war and other military operations under President Donald Trump.

"It's a farce, and it's a stunt, and everybody knows it," he said at a Pentagon press conference, branding the impeachment push "slander" and "sabotage."

Hegseth's combative performance came as Congress inched toward a rare vote on impeachment over alleged misconduct related to wars against Iran and Yemen's Houthis, and the controversial killing of alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

The effort throws down a challenge to Trump, already weakened by last week's midterms drubbing, where anger at the sputtering Iran war and subsequent surge in fuel prices helped drive voters to a historic rejection of Republicans.

Trump has acknowledged that the war -- which Hegseth has championed -- contributed to his party losing control of both the House and Senate.

But moments after Hegseth's televised press conference, the 80-year-old president signaled his support.

"Pete Hegseth gets an 'A' PLUS, PLUS, PLUS," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Vice President JD Vance, who has also blamed midterm losses on the Iran conflict, likewise backed the Pentagon chief Tuesday, saying he has "obviously not" committed impeachable offenses.

The expected impeachment vote in the House comes in the lame duck period when Republicans still retain their narrow majority, ahead of next January when the huge new Democratic majority takes over.

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