Hegseth vows to remain Pentagon chief through end of Trump’s term as impeachment push and Democratic investigations loom
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is “100 percent committed” to remaining in charge of the Pentagon through the end of President Donald Trump’s term despite mounting threats of impeachment and congressional investigations, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told The Washington Post.
“Secretary Hegseth will not back down or be deterred by politicians looking to score partisan points or launch sham investigations where no wrongdoing exists,” Parnell said.
The statement comes as Hegseth faces growing congressional pressure ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Democrats preparing wide-ranging investigations into his leadership of the Pentagon if they gain control of Congress.
The Washington Post reported that potential Democratic investigations could examine Hegseth’s management of military operations, personnel decisions and defense contracts, while lawmakers could summon senior military officers to testify.
Hegseth is also facing an impeachment effort from Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who has accused him of violating the War Powers Resolution by conducting hostilities against Iran without congressional authorization.
Massie has indicated he intends to revive his impeachment push when Congress returns after the election and has said the chances of the resolution passing the House are “fairly high.”
Democratic lawmakers have separately introduced impeachment articles accusing Hegseth of offenses including conducting an unauthorized war against Iran, obstructing congressional oversight and mishandling sensitive military information. Hegseth and the Pentagon reject allegations of wrongdoing.
Even if the House were to impeach Hegseth, removing him from office would require a two-thirds majority in the Senate, a threshold that currently appears difficult to reach.
Trump has continued to publicly support his defense secretary, calling Hegseth a “great warrior” and denouncing efforts to impeach him.