At a Glance

• US War Secretary Pete Hegseth held his first Pentagon briefing in six months to fight an impeachment effort.

• Rep. Thomas Massie filed the resolution over the handling of the Iran war and other military actions.

• A House vote could come by midweek.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth dug in on Tuesday against a push in Congress to impeach him, saying the effort targets "policy disagreements" rather than the high crimes and misdemeanors the nation's founders intended.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• Hegseth on the History: "In the 250 years of our American republic, no Secretary of War or Secretary of Defense has ever been impeached for carrying out lawful military operations." — Pete Hegseth, US War Secretary.

• Hegseth on the Motive: "This is not patriotism. This is sabotage." — Pete Hegseth.

• Focus Area: The impeachment resolution against Hegseth and its political fallout after the midterm losses.

Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who lost his primary to a Trump-backed opponent, filed the resolution Monday.

It centers on the war in Iran but also cites operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen and in Venezuela. Massie says Hegseth's actions amount to high crimes and misdemeanors.

Hegseth argued the effort tells adversaries, including Iran and the cartels, that the United States will punish its own leaders and troops for lawful operations.

A House vote could come by midweek, though the next steps are highly uncertain, with pressure on Republicans who blamed their election losses partly on the war.

Trump has backed Hegseth, pointing to the January raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and to operations against Iran that he says have "obliterated" its navy and air force.

Iran, however, has kept striking US bases in the Middle East and disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the more than eight-month conflict, driving up oil prices.

Scores of Pentagon political appointees posted images of Hegseth with the slogan "Stand. Fight. Defend the Republic," and spokesman Sean Parnell said he is "100% committed" to leading the department through the end of Trump's term.

FYI

The Constitution does not define "high crimes and misdemeanors," leaving Congress to decide what counts as an impeachable offense.

Hegseth's briefing was his first from the Pentagon since May, even as the US military has kept up intermittent operations against Iran and fatal strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in Latin America.

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