Trump urges Congress to back secretary of defense against ouster push

US President Donald Trump has called on members of Congress to defend Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth against efforts to remove him, after Republican Representative Thomas Massie introduced eight articles of impeachment as the House resumed business following the midterm elections. Trump said his defense secretary "deserves praise, not removal."

In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticized Thomas Massie, who is set to leave Congress at the end of the current term in early January, calling him a "failure." Trump said Massie was "trying to remove Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary who is perhaps the most popular and successful military leader in the country."

Trump added, "With recruitment rates at an all-time high—after being at their lowest under (Sleepy Joe Biden)—and with victories in both Venezuela and Iran, Pete Hegseth deserves praise, not removal."

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/117589581287691662

Hegseth announced he would hold a press conference at the Pentagon to respond to Democrats regarding the conflict with Iran and what he described as the "achievements of the US military." Hegseth said, "If anyone wants to discuss the successes of the US military, I am ready to talk about them all day."

The US secretary of defense said that what President Trump did regarding Iran "no president has dared to do in 47 years," adding that "someone had to confront the Iranian regime's pursuit of nuclear weapons."

Meanwhile, Thomas Massie predicted that Hegseth would not remain in office until the end of the year, just hours after submitting the impeachment articles. In an interview with CNN, Massie said he still saw a strong possibility that Pete Hegseth would not stay in office through December 31 of this year.

The outgoing Republican representative said that initiating Hegseth's removal now would be a "courteous move" compared to what Democrats would do when they take control of the House in January. He added, "I'm not suggesting he be imprisoned, nor that he face civil accountability. We're simply saying he should leave office now."