Hegseth vows to fight as impeachment vote nears
· Politics · United States
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a video message on Thursday vowing to fight efforts in Congress to impeach him and defending the Iran war as "courageous and historic". Lawmakers are looking to impeach Hegseth as soon as next week, an effort that gained momentum after the Iran war he championed was blamed in part for Republicans losing control of Congress in the midterms. President Donald Trump said Hegseth is doing "a very good job", but a Trump adviser said the defence secretary is not safe from the fate of Donald Rumsfeld, who was fired the morning after Democrats took Congress in 2006. Hegseth also expanded the National Guard presence in Washington, DC, giving troops access to patrol cars, tactical vehicles and boats.
Why it matters：A possible impeachment of the Pentagon chief would deepen the confrontation between a Democratic Congress and the White House and could unsettle US military policy on Iran.
Key points
- Lawmakers could move to impeach Hegseth as early as next week.
- Trump publicly backs Hegseth, but an adviser says his job is not safe.
- Hegseth has expanded National Guard operations in Washington, DC.