Pete Hegseth decries impeachment push, defends Iran war handling

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Tuesday railed against the Republican congressman who introduced articles of impeachment against him and aggressively defended his leadership in the Iran war and other military operations.

"What one disgruntled and defeated congressman is attempting is not oversight, and it's not accountability. It's a political spectacle, a personal manifesto driven by ego and resentment," Hegseth said a day after Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., put forward eight impeachment articles against him.

"It's a farce, and it's a stunt, and everybody knows it," Hegseth said during his first Pentagon news conference in six months.

The articles accuse Hegseth of waging war in contravention of Congress, carrying out extrajudicial killings tied to boat strikes in the Caribbean against purported drug smugglers, and suppressing free speech by targeting Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a veteran.