--- title: Republican Aims to Impeach Hegseth Despite Trump's Defense description: As calls for impeachment grow, Trump is adamant that his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is only "guilty of two things: basically winning two wars." canonical: https://time.com/article/2026/11/09/trump-defends-hegseth-as-republican-led-impeachment-vote-looms/ author: Tiago Ventura article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-11-09T16:39:37.458Z article:modified_time: 2026-11-09T16:39:46.942Z article:section: Politics og:title: Trump Defends Hegseth as Republican-Led Impeachment Vote Looms og:description: As calls for impeachment grow, Trump is adamant that his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is only "guilty of two things: basically winning two wars." og:url: https://time.com/article/2026/11/09/trump-defends-hegseth-as-republican-led-impeachment-vote-looms/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea635c6c0d84614a/6af1bdcd4eb3c7917317b1a7/Trump_and_Hegseth.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Trump and Hegseth.jpg og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Trump Defends Hegseth as Republican-Led Impeachment Vote Looms twitter:description: As calls for impeachment grow, Trump is adamant that his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is only "guilty of two things: basically winning two wars." twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea635c6c0d84614a/6af1bdcd4eb3c7917317b1a7/Trump_and_Hegseth.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Trump Defends Hegseth as Republican-Led Impeachment Vote Looms > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=75410dfd-3f0e-4499-b851-5056afbe8987&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Nov 9, 2026 4:39 PM UTC  President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listen to questions from the press during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland, on July 31, 2026. President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listen to questions from the press during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Maryland, on July 31, 2026. Aaron Schwartz––AFP/Getty Images  by [Tiago Ventura](https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/)  ## Tiago Ventura Nov 9, 2026 4:39 PM UTC Listen 00:001.0x04:55 Narrated by TIME AI. President[ Donald Trump](https://time.com/article/2026/11/04/trump-lame-duck-era/) doubled down on his support of[ Pete Hegseth](https://time.com/article/2026/09/30/hegseth-pentagon-us-military-generals-admirals-cuts/) amid a Republican-led effort to impeach the embattled Defense Secretary as Congress returns Monday for a lame-duck session after the Democrats'[ sweeping victories](https://time.com/article/2026/11/04/meet-the-democratic-rising-stars-who-could-shape-2028/) in the midterms. “He’s guilty of two things: basically winning two wars,” Trump[ said](https://youtu.be/JcDtAVSC7xo?t=355) of Hegseth Sunday evening, praising U.S. military operations in Venezuela and Iran. “It’s awfully hard to say, ‘Let’s impeach somebody who did that.’” The President’s remarks came after he said he [still has confidence](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1594&v=m2aC8lAOQbg&feature=youtu.be) in Hegseth and referred to efforts of impeachment as "very unfair" during a sit-down interview with CBS' _60 Minutes_. Despite Trump’s continued defense of Hegseth, attempts to impeach the Defense Secretary come from within his own party, as Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky is preparing to reintroduce a privileged resolution. The [measure](https://massie.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hegseth%5Farticles%5Fof%5Fimpeachment.pdf) includes [eight articles](https://massie.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=395853) of impeachment, accusing Hegseth of violating the [War Powers Resolution of 1973](https://www.congress.gov/bill/93rd-congress/house-joint-resolution/542), citing the lack of congressional oversight on the conflict which Massie argues was “unlawful from its inception.” Another charge accuses Hegseth of “ignoring laws that minimize civilian casualties.” Outside of the Iran war, the charges also allege the “kidnapping of a sovereign foreign leader,” in reference to the U.S.’ capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in January—an act Massie says was carried out “without constitutional or legal authority.” Massie's renewed push follows an[ earlier effort](https://time.com/article/2026/09/15/massie-hegseth-impeachment-iran/) in September, when he sought to force a House vote on impeaching Hegseth. However, Speaker Mike Johnson[ recessed the House early](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/16/mike-johnson-cancels-house-vote-hegseth), preventing the measure from reaching the floor. On Monday, Massie said he's seen some members of the House say Hegseth “has been effective and they agree with the war, so they’ll vote not to impeach,” without naming any lawmakers in particular. “That’s not the question though. The question is whether he committed impeachable acts, and the answer is yes,” Massie [argued](https://x.com/RepThomasMassie/status/2119795136003518716). If Massie re-files his articles of impeachment against Hegseth as privileged, it would mean ​the House must take up the issue within two legislative days. It’s unclear how this affectthe five-week lame-duck session, as government funding runs out after Dec. 11 and lawmakers still need to make a deal to avert a government shutdown. Hegseth has staunchly pushed back against the impeachment threat. In a video posted to social media, he accused his critics of pursuing a politically-motivated campaign against him. “A disgruntled, defeated Congressman, along with all his Democrat allies, has also dropped sham articles of impeachment against yours truly, just like they tried against President Trump twice,” Hegseth[ said](https://x.com/SecWar/status/2118433945746366605), referring to the[ two impeachments](https://time.com/5939232/senate-acquits-donald-trump-second-impeachment-trial/) of Trump during his first term as President. “It’s all about the politics of personal destruction–didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work with me,” he vowed. In a statement to TIME Monday morning, chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth “will not back down or be deterred by politicians seeking to score partisan points or launch phony investigations where no wrongdoing exists.” He said that the Defense Department has “followed the law and our Secretary will continue to stand and fight every single day to support and defend the Constitution, lead our troops, and protect America” and added that Hegseth is “100% committed to leading the Department until the end of President Trump’s term in office.” TIME has also reached out to the White House for comment. ### Top House Democrat supports push to impeach Hegseth Massie, who lost the Republican primary in May to a challenger endorsed by Trump, already has the support of a number of Democrats, including Hakeem Jeffries, who is widely expected to be the next House Speaker come January. During an appearance on ABC's _This Week_ Sunday, Jeffries said: “I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution.” Accusing Hegseth of abusing his position, Jeffries [continued](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NTfQ4BHh8KI). “The so-called Secretary of Defense has abused his power, undermined our national security and engineered this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran, which has skyrocketed prices on the American people and made the country less safe.” Jeffries follows in the footsteps of [Rep. Adam Smith](https://time.com/article/2026/11/02/top-house-armed-services-democrat-backs-impeaching-trump-and-hegseth/), the top Democrat in the House Armed Services Committee, and [Rep. Ro Khanna](https://www.foxnews.com/video/6408106756112) of California, who have also pledged to back Massie’s impeachment efforts. ### The split over the Iran war In the fallout of the midterm rout, the Republican Party appears to be split over the Iran war—and the extent of its impact on voters. Vice President J.D. Vance [said](https://x.com/JDVance/status/2118004988433641835) the day after the election that “the reason we lost is the war.” Trump, in his _60 Minutes_ interview that was filmed Friday and released Sunday, said he didn't disagree with Vance's analysis, but doubled down on the inception of the war. “The only thing I wish he would have said there, if he felt it, and you'd have to ask him about that, but, ‘If you had it to do again, would you do it?’” Trump [said](https://youtu.be/m2aC8lAOQbg?t=533), before adding: “My answer is an emphatic 'yes.'” The Iran war remains vastly unpopular with Americans. A midterm [exit poll](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-elections/exit-polls) showed that 74% of voters thought the Iran war was a crucial or major factor when casting their ballot. The conflict is[ estimated to have cost](https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-costs-trump-congress-81d781a54149709d1ca6754d2aab78bc) American taxpayers around $47.1 billion so far. The financial fallout of the war has added to the cost-of-living pressures facing many Americans, with [soaring diesel prices](https://time.com/article/2026/09/11/us-diesel-prices-record-high-impact-groceries-american-consumers/) proving to be a key concern among voters. Democrats, meanwhile, have long argued for more congressional overview regarding the Iran war. Some Republicans, including Massie and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, have also questioned the boundaries of the presidential war powers. In a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing in July, Murkowski [asked](https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=142&v=FoLl5vpvKDg&feature=youtu.be) Hegseth why Congress hadn’t been asked for authorization. Hegseth, in response, acknowledged the “long-standing legal debate on this particular topic” but insisted that the Department of Defense shares “the position of the White House, that we have all the authorities necessary at this moment.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/11/09/trump-defends-hegseth-as-republican-led-impeachment-vote-looms/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/11/09/trump-defends-hegseth-as-republican-led-impeachment-vote-looms/"},"headline":"Trump Defends Hegseth as Republican-Led Impeachment Vote Looms","datePublished":"2026-11-09T16:39:37.458Z","dateModified":"2026-11-09T16:39:46.942Z","description":"As calls for impeachment grow, Trump is adamant that his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is only \"guilty of two things: basically winning two wars.\"","url":"https://time.com/article/2026/11/09/trump-defends-hegseth-as-republican-led-impeachment-vote-looms/","keywords":["Donald Trump","News Desk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea635c6c0d84614a/6af1bdcd4eb3c7917317b1a7/Trump_and_Hegseth.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Tiago Ventura","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/tiago-ventura/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea635c6c0d84614a/6af1bdcd4eb3c7917317b1a7/Trump_and_Hegseth.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Trump and Hegseth.jpg","caption":"","creditText":"Aaron Schwartz––AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/donald-trump/","name":"Donald Trump"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/article/2026/11/09/trump-defends-hegseth-as-republican-led-impeachment-vote-looms/","name":"Trump Defends Hegseth as Republican-Led Impeachment Vote Looms"}}]}] ```