Pete Hegseth said moves to impeach him over alleged abuse of power in the Iran war were 'a farce' that would fail. The US defence secretary was speaking a day after Thomas Massie, Kentucky's Republican representative, introduced eight articles of impeachment against him

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Thomas Massie has accused US defense secretary of illegally waging war without congressional authorization and abusing his powers

Pete Hegseth has dismissed a bid to impeach him as a “political spectacle”, accusing the Republican lawmaker who moved to force a vote of trying to stage a “show trial”.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the US defense secretary – accused of illegally waging war without congressional authorization, and abusing his powers – claimed he was simply being pursued by political opponents of Donald Trump.

Trump’s defense secretary calls impeachment effort from congressman Thomas Massie ‘a personal manifesto driven by ego’ as he faces scrutiny for prolonged Iran war

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During his press conference, Hegseth was resolute that the articles of impeachment are baseless, and that all attacks were carried out legally.

“As for the articles themselves, Iran, the cartels, Maduro, Yemen, everyone was a lawful operation ordered by the commander-in-chief, then ordered by myself, notified to Congress and executed by American warriors who did their jobs,” he said. “We destroyed terror regimes’ capabilities. We sank the boats carrying poison into our communities. We put a narco dictator in handcuffs. These are not high crimes. This is the job, and it’s the job well done.”