Defiant Hegseth tells Democrats their impeachment push ‘won’t work’

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth has vowed to "not back down" against a "lame duck" Congress and has stated that impeachment attempts will "not work" during his first reaction to Democrats' electoral victory in Tuesday's election. In a Pentagon video, Hegseth pointed to Thomas Massie, a Republican House representative from Kentucky, who has called for a vote to impeach him once Congress reconvenes after the midterm election.

Massie's call for impeachment echoes a similar attempt against former President Donald Trump. Hegseth criticized Democrats' policies, stating that their obsession with political theater has led them to attempt to destroy their opponents through personal destruction. He emphasized that their policies have failed, particularly in comparison to President Trump's administration, and that the ongoing war in Iran and the energy crisis caused by the Strait of Hormuz blockade are contributing to the decline in the Trump administration's popularity.

Despite the possibility of Trump not considering replacing Hegseth, the US president has reportedly questioned his advisers about his job security. Hegseth pledged to "rebuild" the military department and highlighted the importance of the $350 billion reconciliation bill for the 2027 defence budget, arguing that every vote from patriotic members of Congress is crucial to achieving the Trump administration's goals.

Hegseth dismissed former President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Lloyd Austin, as leaving the country in a "terrible place," and vowed that the defence department must continue to "fight every single day to restore it." He concluded by reaffirming that the department will not back down and that America and the warfighter remain its top priorities, always with an unapologetic attitude.