Hegseth: Impeachment Over Policy Disagreement Sends Wrong Signal to Adversaries

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, facing the threat of impeachment, detailed a record of successful operations on his watch today during a press briefing at the Pentagon.

Hegseth said the impeachment resolution presented to the House of Representatives is over policy disagreements, not the sort of offenses identified in the impeachment clause. He also said the threat of impeachment sends a troubling signal to the nation's adversaries.

"We destroyed terror regimes' capabilities, we sank the boats carrying poison into our communities, we put a narco-dictator in handcuffs," he said. "These are not high crimes. This is the job, and it's a job well done."

Hegseth noted that 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 - War Powers Resolution or not - not under [President Ronald] Reagan in Lebanon, not under [President Bill] Clinton in Kosovo, not under [President Barack] Obama in Iraq and Syria, and not under [President Joe] Biden in Iraq and Syria. That's the standard," he said.

President Donald J. Trump reinstituted peace through strength, the secretary said, not just as a mantra but as a way of war.

Five years ago, Hegseth said, America was humiliated in Kabul, Afghanistan, and every enemy on earth took notes.

He said the world first saw a more resolute America on his watch as secretary of war, after the Houthis fired on American ships and were silenced, and then with the Iranians' nuclear ambitions and support of terrorism. Other examples of a stronger America he cited were the extrication of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the defense against narcoterrorism, and the push to ensure NATO member nations contribute their share to the alliance.

Hegseth said America is the only nation on earth that could successfully execute those missions.

"I stand behind every one of these operations," he said. "I was proud to execute them, and I would do it again tomorrow."

The secretary also noted that two years of successful recruitment and retention, after several years of not meeting goals, shows a rejuvenated War Department. The investments in troop pay and healthcare, improved combat performance standards and advanced equipment warfighters need to win are part of the record.

"That's what we're defending," he said, adding, "We will not apologize for restoring a military that recruits based on merit, restores real standards and fights to win."

The secretary said the War Department will continue to protect the country, defeat its enemies and rebuild a military worthy of the warriors who wear the uniform.

"I pray each day, and I hope you do too, for our troops," Hegseth said. "They are the best of our nation. Like our president, I will defend them with every fiber of my being every single day. That includes having their back no matter what."

He said directly to the troops: "Don't blink, ignore the noise, never hesitate."

"We will stand," he added. "We will fight, and we will defend this republic against all enemies, foreign and domestic."