Hegseth vows to fight impeachment, defends Iran war

In a more than four-minute video posted on social media, Hegseth called the impeachment effort a "sham" and said, "They attack me - they attack us - because we are effective. It's not going to work. We will not back down." He boasted about firing senior Pentagon leaders, ending diversity initiatives, and banning transgender individuals from the military. President Donald Trump praised Hegseth, saying he had "done a fantastic job," while House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries asked, "Why is Pete Hegseth still around?"

Democrats, who won control of Congress in this week's midterm elections, have promised to investigate Hegseth's handling of the Pentagon, including the firing of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Republican Representative Thomas Massie said he would reintroduce articles of impeachment next week, and Republican Senator Thom Tillis told CBS that Hegseth has "a reckoning" coming. The New York Times reported that the looming impeachment push could put Hegseth in a standoff with Democrats and Republicans. Hegseth also appealed to "patriotic" lawmakers to pass a $1.5 trillion defense spending package, and sources said Trump could still replace him. Vice President JD Vance said the Iran war cost Republicans control of Congress, remarks that raised questions about whether Trump might resume major combat operations against Iran.