Defiant Hegseth tells Democrats their impeachment push ‘won’t work’

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said he will “not back down” against a “lame duck” Congress, and that the drives for his impeachment will “not work” in his first reaction after Democrats’ landslide victory in Tuesday’s election.

In a video uploaded by the Pentagon on Thursday, Hegseth said that “a disgruntled, defeated congressman, along with all his Democrat allies,” have been submitting bills for his impeachment, resembling that of the similar attempt against US President Donald Trump.

Hegseth was referring to Thomas Massie, a Republican House representative from Kentucky who has called for a vote to impeach Hegseth as soon as the Congress session resumes after the midterm election. Earlier this year, he was ruled out of the House race after a Trump-backed candidate was instead nominated to run for his seat.