On Tuesday, November 10, 2026, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth dismissed efforts by the U.S. House of Representatives to impeach and remove him from office as ridiculous. He said the moves were driven by political motives and personal disputes, rather than by the commission of a serious crime, treason or bribery.
Pete Hegseth explained that, throughout U.S. history, no defense secretary had been removed from office while carrying out a military operation. He also warned that the effort sent America’s enemies a message that Washington punishes its warfighters and leadership for conducting military operations that, he said, were legitimate and successful.
He also said the efforts were being driven by the wishes of a single person seeking to use his final days in Congress to harm the U.S. president and the country. He stressed that Republicans still control Congress and must secure political gains during the time they have left.
Regarding Iran, the U.S. secretary of war defended Donald Trump’s decisions and said: “The United States did not initiate the war; Iran started it 47 years ago.” He reiterated that, in its confrontation with Iran, his country had achieved “a historic military victory by every measure.”
