Key Points
- Hegseth defended the Iran war and his record in a six-minute video posted outside the Pentagon Thursday.
- Republicans lost both chambers Tuesday, a result Trump and Vance have tied directly to the unresolved war.
- A House impeachment push led by Thomas Massie could reach a vote as soon as next week.
The latest:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used a nearly six-minute video recorded outside the Pentagon on Thursday to defend the Iran war, praise President Donald Trump and attack the lawmakers seeking his removal. The release came days after Republicans lost control of Congress and as the Pentagon presses lawmakers to approve a $1.5 trillion budget request. Trump said Hegseth has done a fantastic job.
Details:
- The message: Hegseth said that when the administration says Iran will not have a nuclear weapon, it means it, and called the conflict a courageous and historic effort. He argued that regardless of how people feel about the war, Congress must approve funding in the coming weeks to keep the United States ahead of its adversaries.
- The campaign: The official White House account on X and political appointees posted in tandem with the video, all carrying the identical line: “Stand. Fight. Defend the Republic.” Spokesman Joel Valdez said chief spokesman Sean Parnell assembled a team for the most aggressive defense of Hegseth yet, with offensive maneuvers still to come.
- Undisclosed plan: Valdez said the full scope of the communications strategy is not being disclosed, adding that the lesson from Trump is never to back down. The Pentagon did not describe what the next phase would involve or when it would begin.
- Impeachment track: An impeachment effort led by Rep. Thomas Massie, the anti-war Kentucky Republican who lost his primary in May after Trump and Hegseth targeted him, could reach a House vote as soon as next week. Hegseth called Massie a disgruntled, defeated congressman and dismissed the articles as a sham.
- The attacks: Hegseth assailed Democrats and what he called deep-state radicals, saying they target him because the administration tore down sacred cows at the Pentagon. He listed climate change, diversity, senior military leaders and the news media, and said the politics of personal destruction failed against Trump and will fail against him.
- Republican criticism: Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia said the Pentagon budget and the National Defense Authorization Act need bipartisan support to finish the war that would prevent a nuclear Iran. Scott said the secretary’s job is to build alliances at home and abroad, and that had Hegseth done so, the war would already be over.
- Democratic plans: Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado said the video shows Hegseth is desperate to keep his job after failing servicemembers and starting new forever wars. Democratic leaders have vowed investigations once they take power in January, covering the war, strikes on alleged drug traffickers, the firing of military leaders and diversity programs.
- No exit route: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, elected Tennessee governor Tuesday, is not considering appointing Hegseth to fill the remainder of her Senate term, a Republican operative said. A person familiar with Hegseth’s thinking said he is not interested in the seat, closing off a possible soft landing.
- Trump’s position: Trump cited a reduction in the number of generals under Hegseth and said he does not like a woke general. ABC News reported Trump said he has received complaints about Hegseth but intends to keep him, acknowledging a replacement would be hard to confirm once Democrats control the Senate.
Background:
The administration launched the war in February alongside Israel, initially predicting a few weeks to topple the government in Tehran. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, driving global gasoline prices up and making affordability a central voter issue. The conflict is unresolved after more than eight months.
Between the lines:
Trump’s public backing sits alongside his own acknowledgment that confirming a successor becomes harder in January. The Blackburn seat closing removes the one exit that would have let Hegseth leave without appearing forced out, leaving the impeachment vote and the budget fight as the tests of his standing.
What’s next
The House impeachment vote could come as soon as next week. Congress must act on the $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget request and the defense policy bill within weeks, and Democratic committees gain subpoena power in January.
