Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) reintroducing articles of impeachment against him, at his first Pentagon news conference since May. Hegseth said Tuesday, “It’s a farce, and it’s a stunt, and everybody knows it.”
He added, “What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, it’s not accountability. It’s a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment.”
The Kentucky Republican’s resolution accuses Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors and lists eight specific charges against him.
BREAKING: “It’s a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth blasts Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and his impeachment efforts, accusing him of using his final days in Congress to target President Trump and the military.
“It’s a farce and it’s a stunt, and everybody knows it.”
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— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 10, 2026
President Donald Trump called Massie “a total loser” on Truth Social Monday and wrote, “Pete Hegseth should be praised, not Impeached. Congress, stand up for Pete.”
Trump supporter Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) responded to Massie’s push for impeachment: “Either Hegseth is going to step down, either he will resign voluntarily or Trump will fire him.” He added, “or, if that does not happen, I think it is extremely likely, if not certain” that the House will impeach him.
Sen. Ted Cruz: Either Pete Hegseth will step down voluntarily, or Trump will fire him.
If that doesn’t happen, it is extremely likely, if not certain, that the House will impeach him because the votes are there. https://t.co/ZcbrF2T4Q9
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) November 10, 2026
Massie, who lost his May primary and leaves Congress in January, wrote Monday, “I’ve seen some of my colleagues say @SecWar Hegseth has been effective and they agree with the war, so they’ll vote not to impeach. That’s not the question though. The question is whether he committed impeachable acts, and the answer is yes, eight times.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said Sunday on ABC, “I’m a hard ‘yes’ on the Hegseth resolution.”
[NOTE: Massie’s eight articles include three for illegally waging war on Iran, one for ignoring laws to limit civilian casualties, one for overseeing extrajudicial killings of alleged drug-boat crews and one for capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without congressional authorization. A simple House majority would impeach; the Senate needs 67 votes to remove him.]
Massie: “I hope Hegseth addresses the 8 articles of impeachment, and doesn‘t get up and misquote the Bible in Quentin Tarantino fashion and do some pull-ups and call everybody fat and gay. I may have just given you half his speech, I don’t know.” https://t.co/W5EumfVJ5J
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 9, 2026