Johnson blasts Massie's 'shameful' push to oust Hegseth

House Speaker Mike Johnson criticized Republican Representative Thomas Massie’s push to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling the effort "shameful," according to The Hill. Massie, a Kentucky Republican who lost his primary to a Trump-backed opponent, introduced eight articles of impeachment on Monday. The House is scheduled to hold a procedural vote on the resolution Tuesday evening.

Defense Secretary Hegseth held a press conference at the Pentagon where he described the impeachment attempt as a "farce," a "stunt," and a "political spectacle" driven by the ego and resentment of a disgruntled congressman. Hegseth argued the resolution targets lawful military operations, including the war against Iran and strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in Latin America, and claimed the effort puts a target on the backs of U.S. troops.

ABC News AU reports that Democrats have indicated they will support the resolution, though it remains unclear if enough Republicans will join them to succeed.

President Trump defended Hegseth's record on Monday amid the impeachment push, according to CBS News. Global News reports that some Republicans have attributed recent GOP midterm losses to the Iran conflict and its economic impact.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Hill, CBS News, ABC News AU, Global News, ABC News (US) — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.