Pete Hegseth Fires Back at Looming Impeachment Threat as Defense Secretary Calls Effort 'a Farce' and 'a Stunt'

Pete Hegseth defiantly fired back against efforts to impeach him, RadarOnline.com can report, calling the push by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie "a farce" and "a stunt."

The embattled Secretary of Defense continues to face scrutiny after the disastrous Republican showing in the midterm elections, which many politicians have blamed on his perceived push for the war with Iran.

Hegseth wasted no time in delivering a blistering response to the impeachment charges, kicking off his Pentagon press conference by calling out Massie as "one disgruntled and defeated congressman" and blasting the impeachment push against him as "a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment."

The 46-year-old faces eight articles of impeachment introduced by Massie, primarily accusing him of violating federal law and the Constitution through military operations against Iran, Venezuela, and Yemen.

But Hegseth insisted that he had been carrying out "lawful military operations" that were a great success, and called Massie's move "a farce, and it's a stunt, and everybody knows it."

"In the 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations, and in our case, successful ones at that," he said. "And one disgruntled congressman wants to shred it over policy disagreements.

"That’s what it is. Policy disagreements, not high crimes, not misdemeanors, not treason, not bribery, not the kinds of offenses the founders intended when they wrote the impeachment clause."

Moments after Hegseth ended his diatribe, President Trump weighed in, reiterating his support for his defense secretary.

"Pete Hegseth gets an 'A' PLUS, PLUS, PLUS for his defense against a disgruntled, angry, defeated, former Congressman, Thomas Massie, a TOTAL LOSER!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

The president has stated he doesn't have any plans to fire Hegseth, telling a reporter recently, "I have every intention to keep him"; however, the 80-year-old did acknowledge many leaders have grown frustrated with the secretary.

"I get these calls, you know, about him. I don't understand why," Trump said before confessing that it would be "easier" to bring in a new Defense Secretary before Democrats take control of Congress.

Hegseth's name immediately came up as a scapegoat for the poor election showing, with many blaming him for pushing Trump's unpopular war in Iran and its fallout at the gas pumps.

"The blame game is already in full swing among House Republicans, with the Iran war emerging as a top target of their ire,” insiders told an outlet, conceding that many lawmakers view Hegseth as "the face of the war."

Hegseth has been a prominent supporter of the military campaign in Iran and has been accused of telling the president "only what he wants to hear" about the war's progress.

Trump has acknowledged the conflict hurt Republicans politically, particularly because of its impact on fuel prices. However, he maintained that he would make the same decision again, arguing Iran could not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.

Massie's articles of impeachment accuse Hegseth of violating the War Powers Resolution of 1973 by waging the Iran war without congressional authorization, continuing it after both chambers directed the removal of U.S. forces, and remaining in hostilities.

Other articles charge that he ignored laws meant to limit civilian casualties, replaced maritime law enforcement with lethal targeting of suspected drug traffickers that the resolution says resulted in at least 221 deaths, and retaliated against Senator Mark Kelly for protected speech.

Hegseth was also criticized for the seizure of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and accused of initiating unauthorized operations in Yemen.

A vote on the articles is expected on Tuesday.