Trump says he will stand by Hegseth if impeached

President Donald Trump said Monday he would continue backing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth even if the House impeaches him, as Rep. Thomas Massie renewed his effort to remove Hegseth over the administration’s handling of the Iran war.

At a White House briefing after the midterm elections, Trump dismissed Massie’s move and praised Hegseth’s performance. “He’s done a very good job,” Trump said, adding that he would stand by the defense secretary if the House impeached him. Trump also said military personnel supported Hegseth and credited him with victories in Iran and Venezuela. Those assessments were Trump’s; the reports describe stalled Iran peace talks and continuing U.S. strikes.

Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, reintroduced articles of impeachment on Monday. One report said the articles comprise eight counts and allege, among other things, violations of war powers restrictions and laws intended to limit civilian casualties. Massie said the case concerns alleged unlawful conduct, not Hegseth’s job performance. Hegseth’s response to the articles was not included in the accounts of the briefing.

The articles would need a simple majority in the Republican-led House to advance...