Washington: US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Tuesday rejected a congressional effort to impeach him over US military operations, calling it a political stunt and saying the missions against Iran, Venezuela and drug cartels were lawful orders from President Donald Trump.
At a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth described the impeachment effort as the work of a defeated congressman pursuing a personal grievance.
“What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight and it’s not accountability,” he said. “It’s a farce and it’s a stunt and everybody knows it.”
Military policy disagreements could not, by themselves, justify an impeachment effort, he said asserting that no previous Defence Secretary had been impeached for conducting lawful military operations.
“The proper remedy for a policy disagreement, it’s legislation, it’s debate, it’s the next presidential election,” he said.
Hegseth invoked Trump’s two earlier impeachments, arguing that his opponents had failed to remove him from office. He said the current effort risked sending a signal to adversaries that Washington might punish commanders for carrying out orders.
Hegseth said operations against Iran, armed groups in Yemen and suspected drug traffickers had been ordered through the military chain of command. He said Congress had been notified, and rejected allegations that US personnel had committed crimes.
“As for the articles themselves, Iran, the cartels, Maduro, Yemen, everyone was a lawful operation ordered by the commander in chief, then ordered by myself, notified to Congress and executed by America warriors who did their jobs,” he said.
He also rejected allegations that American forces deliberately targeted civilians. Such claims, he said, amounted to a slander against those who had flown, sailed and fought in the operations. The briefing offered no independent evidence to resolve the allegations.
“Their service was not a crime. These are heroes and no politician in Washington will tell them otherwise while I hold this office,” he said.
Asked whether he was lobbying Congress to resist impeachment, Hegseth said his legislative affairs team was working with Republican leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. He claimed there was broad support and that lawmakers regarded the articles as weak.
“We’ve been in touch with a lot of members. There, there’s a, there’s a ton of support,” he said.
Hegseth also said the department was maintaining contact with Democratic members. Civilian and uniformed officials regularly briefed lawmakers, he said, even as the Pentagon pursued urgent funding during the lame-duck session.
His response came amid questions about the next Congress. Asked about Democratic threats to put him on trial, he said he would welcome a debate on Trump’s national security record and the military operations undertaken by the administration.
The US Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power to impeach federal civil officers and the Senate authority to try impeachment cases. A House vote to impeach would not, on its own, remove an official from office.
Congress separately exercises oversight over military operations and controls federal appropriations. Those powers can produce disputes with the executive branch over the use of force, military priorities and the resources allocated to the armed forces.
(IANS)
