White House weighs fight over impeachment push against Hegseth
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President Donald Trump said he would back Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as Republicans face a congressional impeachment effort, while Rep. Thomas Massie warned the defense chief could be on the way out before the end of the year.
President Donald Trump told CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins that he would stand by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if Congress impeaches him, and he sharply dismissed Rep. Thomas Massie as a “loser” while criticizing the network’s ratings.
Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, filed articles of impeachment against Hegseth, claiming violations of constitutional war powers and unauthorized military actions in Iran. He told Collins that impeachment is a “polite” step meant to remove Hegseth from his post and cautioned that Democrats, expected to take control of Congress in January, would act with fewer restraints.
Collins reported that sources inside the White House expressed concern about the GOP’s ability to defend Hegseth after the recent midterm elections, which saw the party lose control of both chambers. Some officials reportedly believe the defense secretary’s position has become slightly more secure after Stephen Miller was named 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 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.