Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continues to defend the war in Iran despite growing criticism in the United States and efforts to remove him from office. In a conversation with reporters today (Monday), Hegseth made clear that even if the war is unpopular, the decision to launch it was necessary, and he won’t back down from impeachment.
Secretary of War Hegseth says criticizing President Trump’s military operations means criticizing the troops who carried them out, pushing back against Democrats over what he calls partisan political games.
Defending Trump’s military decisions, Hegseth praises the president’s leadership and the courage of American service members.
“I couldn’t be more proud of what our president has done, the decisions that he’s made, the courageous calls that he’s made.”
“Anybody who’s paying attention knows that these are the kind of partisan political games Democrats have been playing for a very long time.”
— Fox News (@FoxNews) November 9, 2026
Hegseth defended President Donald Trump’s decision to launch a campaign against Iran. According to him, the administration faced a choice between avoiding action and taking significant military action designed to prevent the Iranian regime from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“The choice was to do nothing and hope the problem goes away, or take a bold step—and that’s what the president did,” Hegseth said. He noted that Trump made clear that Islamic extremists cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. His comments come after the Republican Party’s defeat in last week’s midterm elections. Party officials blame the ongoing war in Iran, and its impact on energy prices and the cost of living, for losing control of both houses of Congress.
3+Republicans Join Impeachment Push
Criticism of Hegseth is no longer coming only from the Democratic Party. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, a maverick and Trump critic, is advancing a proposal to impeach the defense secretary, claiming he continued to wage war in Iran while bypassing congressional authority.
The proposal is expected to come to a vote in the House this week. According to an Axios report, several Republican lawmakers are considering supporting the move amid party anger following the election results. House Oversight Committee Chairman, Republican James Comer, also criticized Hegseth’s conduct. Comer said in an interview that members of Congress have many questions about the war’s management and the administration’s plan to end it.
3+“We have no idea what the strategy is going forward in Iran,” Comer said, stopping short of expressing explicit support for the defense secretary’s continued tenure. Republican Congressman French Hill also refused to rule out supporting impeachment. According to him, it must be examined whether Hegseth’s conduct justifies impeachment or other disciplinary measures.
“It Didn’t Work Against Trump, and It Won’t Work Against Me”
Hegseth himself is rejecting the attacks against him. Already, last Thursday, he released a video in which he attacked the members of Congress advancing his impeachment and claimed it was a political attempt to harm him and the Trump administration. “It didn’t work against President Trump, and it won’t work against me. You can be sure of that,” he declared. The defense secretary accused his opponents of waging a personal political battle, and claimed they are attacking him precisely because the administration succeeded in advancing its policy. “They’re attacking me, they’re attacking us, because we’re effective. It won’t work. We’re not backing down,” he said.
3+In the video, he also addressed the war in Iran, which he described as a courageous and historic effort designed to ensure Tehran does not obtain nuclear weapons. Hegseth emphasized that the United States must keep investing in its military forces and asked Congress to approve an additional defense budget of at least $350 billion.
Trump Backs Him, But White House Weighing the Situation
Despite the political pressure, Trump continues to support his defense secretary publicly. Last week the president said Hegseth is doing an excellent job, and made clear he has no intention of firing him. However, according to reports in the United States, Trump has discussed Hegseth’s future with his associates following the election results. Axios reported that one of the president’s advisers described the secretary’s political situation as problematic, though that doesn’t mean the president has decided to replace him.
3+Meanwhile, disagreements are also emerging within the administration over continuing the campaign in Iran. Vice President J.D. Vance argued that the war was a major factor in the Republicans’ electoral loss, while Hegseth continues to defend the decision to launch the campaign.
Hegseth announced that tomorrow he will hold a special press conference, his first in more than 180 days, in which he will address the impeachment attempts and the decisions made regarding the wars in Iran and Venezuela.