White House in turmoil as Trump backs Hegseth amid impeachment drive
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President Donald Trump signaled he would shield Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as Republicans wrestle with an impeachment push, while Rep. Thomas Massie said the official could be pushed out before year’s end.
President Donald Trump told CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins he would stand by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth even if Congress moves to impeach him, while also lashing out at Rep. Thomas Massie as a “loser” and taking a swipe at the network’s ratings.
Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of violating constitutional war powers and of authorizing military actions in Iran without proper authority. He told Collins that impeachment is a “polite” way to remove Hegseth from office and warned that Democrats, who are expected to control Congress in January, would be far less restrained.
Collins reported that sources inside the White House were worried about the GOP’s ability to defend Hegseth after the recent midterm elections, which left the party without control of either chamber. Some officials reportedly think the defense secretary’s position has become slightly more secure since Stephen Miller was appointed White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles, who was described as less confident in Hegseth’s leadership.
Hegseth is scheduled to hold a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday and has already released a video defending himself against the impeachment articles, according to a White House source cited by Collins.
The Daily Beast sought comment from the White House but had not received a response at the time of publication.