Follow-up: Trump Defends Hegseth in Truth Social Post, Says He Should Be Praised, Not Impeached
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump defended Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in a post on Truth Social on the evening of November 9, saying Hegseth should be praised, not impeached, and calling on Congress to stand up for him. Earlier that day, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican, had reintroduced eight articles of impeachment against Hegseth in the House of Representatives; under House rules the measure must be acted on within two legislative days, and a vote could come as early as Wednesday.
In the post, Trump called Massie, who lost his primary, a total loser who is trying to impeach perhaps the most popular and successful military official in the country. Trump said military recruitment is at an all-time high under Hegseth, up from an all-time low under Joe Biden, and that the United States had won two victories, over Venezuela and Iran, so Hegseth should be praised, not impeached. The post ended by urging Congress to stand up for Hegseth. It was published at 8:36 p.m. Eastern Time on November 9. The recruitment and victory claims are Trump's own characterizations in the post.
Earlier the same day, at an impromptu White House briefing, Trump had already said orally that he would stand by Hegseth, that Hegseth had won two wars, and that Massie was a stone-cold loser. The evening post was his written statement on Massie's refiling of the articles that day.
Massie's resolution accuses Hegseth of high crimes and misdemeanors in eight articles: three charge him with illegally waging war against Iran in violation of the War Powers Resolution; one with ignoring laws designed to minimize civilian casualties; one with overseeing extrajudicial killings in strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific; one with suppressing free speech in connection with the effort to punish Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, who appeared in a video telling service members they can refuse illegal orders; one with capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro without congressional authorization; and one with illegally waging war against Yemen in violation of the War Powers Resolution. Massie said the issue at heart is the balance of power between the executive branch and Congress. He first offered the resolution in September; Speaker Mike Johnson then called an early recess to avoid a vote and the resolution expired, which is why Massie reintroduced it on the first day the House returned after the midterms. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has already signaled support for impeaching Hegseth.
Hegseth dismissed the effort in a video released last Thursday, calling the articles sham articles of impeachment and saying the tactic did not work against President Trump and will not work with him. Speaking to reporters in Rhode Island on November 9, he said he was not worried and announced a Pentagon press conference for 8 a.m. on November 10 to address the matter, his first Pentagon press conference since May 5.
NPR assessed that the House could have sufficient votes to impeach if all Democrats, Massie and a handful of Republicans support the measure, but that conviction and removal in the Senate, which requires a two-thirds majority, is unlikely. The vote and Hegseth's press conference response are still to come. (Source: Donald Trump)
Related:
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to Hold Pentagon Press Briefing on November 10
Source: Donald Trump
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：五角大楼航拍（美国国防部总部）。照片：美国海军，公共领域，Wikimedia Commons。Aerial view of the Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense (U.S. Navy photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons).